


The Emperor's Wish

by WBAD_World



Series: The Emperor's Wish [1]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bromance, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Parenthood, Unplanned Pregnancy, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25628737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WBAD_World/pseuds/WBAD_World
Summary: His final judgment is at hand. The price is set and the plan is in motion. But Emperor Lelouch uncovers his lover's secret, and it will haunt him beyond his own death.
Relationships: C.C./Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Jeremiah Gottwald & C.C. & Anya Alstreim, Kururugi Suzaku & Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Nunnally vi Britannia & Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia
Series: The Emperor's Wish [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998685
Comments: 19
Kudos: 131





	1. Prologue: A Father's Farewell

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Holding a hand over her flat abdomen that hid all trace of a human being growing within her, she turned away from his steely gaze. Not out of fear. No… She simply couldn't bear the fact that she had lied to him again. Lied for what could possibly be the last time. The difference this time around, was that he called her out on it.

And why shouldn't he? Her lie concerned him as much as her.

"This is another matter entirely. You don't have the luxury of time to concern yourself about what would happen in the following months—"

She caught him eyeing the flat plane beneath her breasts; could see that an image of her cradling her swollen belly was materializing inside his head. Imagination. It's what he had left, after all. Should Zero Requiem succeed (and it _had to_ for the sake of all they'd sacrificed and the blood they spilled), he wouldn't be around to see the progression of her condition in the following months.

He would never set eyes on the child she would deliver into his new world. She suspected it was a thought that bothered him immensely, because his gaze snapped back to her face shadowed with half-hidden melancholy.

The prominence of his frown grew more apparent the longer he stared at her. "They're _mine_ just as much as they are yours. Don't you think I have a say in this?"

She sighed, reaching for a throw pillow discarded at the end of the couch to cover her nonexistent baby bump. "Yes, you do. For the two weeks that you have left."

Whatever he had been about to say, he stopped and kept his mouth shut. The gears were turning in his mind, and she could tell that he was considering it — _toying_ with the idea of revising their strategic objectives. First, Nunnally. And now _this_.

Was Fate so cruel and so intent on torturing him? He supposed he could add it to the growing list of punishments for his sins. Just when he'd thought he had nothing but the Requiem to occupy himself with for the remaining two months of his life after that fateful battle, he _chanced_ on uncovering his lover's secret.

"How far along are you?"

"Five weeks…"

She observed his hunched form, unwilling to utter words herself as she watched him mull over the facts. A part of her (the one that was to be a parent), wished he would reconsider, and perhaps even make changes to suit the unexpected turn of events. But then—

"I can't stay… I— I can't delay it either, even for them. We decided not to stop this when we found out Nunnally's alive. So I can't—"

He trailed off, and folded his hands in front of him; not meaning to, but it was a mockery of a prayer of sorts.

Just because one more life was in the brink of beginning, he couldn't make exceptions. The progression of his revolution ensured that his actions weren't just for his little sister any longer _or_ his loved ones. He owed it to the world now — to everyone that lost their lives in the global ruckus he'd caused for world peace. If he failed or wavered the slightest bit, Suzaku had been right in saying the Zero Requiem would _lose all meaning._

It was too late to stop… Too late to make alterations.

Every preparation had been made, and _was being_ made to seal his fate and put the demon emperor to death. In two weeks…

Her resigned sigh caught his attention, and he slowly turned to see her clutching the throw pillow closer, resting her chin atop it. "I know. And I understand."

He came around to embrace her then — give her the solidarity they both needed.

Perhaps it was odd, but neither spoke more about the subject. She didn't want to bring up her pregnancy, and he was left to imagine what life could have been like for them both. For the next thirteen days, he threw himself into finalizing everything for the Requiem, and she moved to a different bed chamber in the estate they occupied while they stayed in Japan, the Imperial Crown Colony.

At the dawn of his last day on Earth, he came to her room in the wee hours of the morning. She stood at the balcony that overlooked the deceptively serene estate grounds. True enough, they hadn't spoken of their baby, but for the last thirteen days, he knew she had been silently enduring morning sickness and the other pressing symptoms that guaranteed a new life growing inside her.

He felt _horrible_ for keeping up appearances and for feigning indifference to her situation. Even if they both knew he was doing it for both their sake, it didn't mean he liked it. It didn't make the nasty taste of failure in his tongue disappear.

She was wearing the opulent gown he had commissioned for her ever since this entire ordeal started. It _did_ look fetching on her. Although, he found it quite funny that she never wore that gown (covered all over in the characteristic red eye motif of his short regime) back in Pendragon. He only saw her don it a few times (now, being one of them) while they were in Japan. For odd reasons, she had favored her old straitjacket.

But as he looked at her now, with her back turned to him and in the gray light of his final dawn, he could admit that she looked positively regal. A fitting empress in her own right, had he reigned under different circumstances.

Today wasn't an ordinary day…

So when he approached her from behind, dressed in the pristine robes that flaunted his tainted glory and majesty, and she turned to face him with centuries-worth of pain compounded into her weary expression, they both shed the thin veneer of boldness and pride. Stripped themselves to the simple man and woman that they actually were.

He surrendered to the outcry of his own feelings and tenderly wound his arms around her, pressing her to the folds of the snowy clothes that would be stained in red later. Pushing away thoughts of his own death, he squeezed her firmly but carefully, only too mindful of their baby sheltered in her womb. Her hands clutched his robes as she fought the escape of her own tears.

"Forgive me…" He pleaded into her crown of green hair as his fingers tangled in her tresses.

Lips quivering, she nodded into his chest. She understood. And no matter how painful it was, she could do naught but submit to destiny's design. He didn't like it anymore than she did, especially after they both found out. _This_ was why she lied about it when she first found out, why she _refused_ to tell him about her condition. It complicated things, and made it more difficult than it needed to be. He'd done so much and was going through _plenty_ already. She didn't want him to bear the guilt of leaving behind his own child too.

He stroked her hair lovingly and kissed her forehead — right in the middle of her code.

"I'm glad in a way. At least, before I die as a villain, I can leave knowing I helped bring one good thing to the world in the end." He smiled sadly when she lifted her face to look at him — so much quiet sorrow in her lovely bullion eyes.

"He will know you. He will revere his father. I promise you." She murmured as he pressed their foreheads together and nuzzled her nose affectionately.

The world may forever hate Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, but not her son… Not their beautiful little Prince. Very few people will honor his secret legacy, and she'd make sure their child would be one of the few.

"A baby boy, then. How do you know?"

She managed the littlest of smiles while he held her face and stroked her cheeks with his fingertips.

"I can just tell."

The somewhat haughty statement earned her a sly smirk. Always so sure of herself. It was in-character of his Witch to profess something she believed in with the utmost certainty.

She stayed in his arms as they both watched the sun rise, both inwardly counting the minutes they had left before he had to go, and before she planned to change back into her straitjacket and go to a nearby chapel to pray to a divine being she wasn't entirely sure even existed. Standing in the light of his final day, she softly spoke and for the first time, told him her fears and her dreams for their baby. He listened intently and happily (ignoring the shadow of death not far away) as he savored one of her last gifts to him.

He would never lay eyes on his own child. He could think of his son now instead, picturing a raven-haired little boy with his mother's face and his mother's eyes — traveling to school with a backpack bouncing in his wake, playing with new toys and reading books from cover to cover, eating snacks with his friends, held securely in his mother's arms as he slept, living safely and happily in a peaceful world his father recreated.

For Nunnally; for Suzaku; for Shirley, Rivalz, Milly, Nina, and Kallen; for Euphemia and Rolo; for his Black Knights; for every innocent life caught in the struggle; for the world...

For C.C. For their baby boy. For their happiness. He had to see it through, no matter how severely it crushed his heart.

Dropping to one knee, he smoothed his palm over her abdomen, his lips quirking up ever so slightly at the tiniest beginning of a baby bump — invisible and still containable within the confines of a fitting gown. And because it was his only chance to, leaned over and kissed her where the swell of pregnancy would soon manifest in the coming months.

Rising to his feet once more, neither of them mentioned the clear tracks of tears glimmering faintly in the corners of their eyes or on their cheeks. In a broken voice, he told her how much he loved her and their unborn child. Her own confession of love quivered underneath the weight of her sadness as she cupped his face and returned his last kiss.

In the light of a cloudless and beautiful sky, the Emperor stood with his beloved, and wept for the loss of fatherhood, for the little Prince he would never meet, and for the new family he was being forced to abandon for the greater good.


	2. Mother's Promise

There was moaning, crying, and blood — a sea of blood against a field of white.

She was in pain. She cried and whimpered, and ignored the two others who were with her. One woman held her hand. The other knelt before her at the edge of the bed. They were asking her to push.

Why did they want her to push? What was she pushing?

He didn't understand, and as rivers of red occupied his vision, it was too late to realize that his own terrified bawling joined her cries of agony. One minute he was there, and the next he was in a different room with a man he didn't know grasping his shoulders firmly and soothing him with gentle pats on the back.

He murmured 'My lord' in between his empty words, and he didn't care!

The red had to stop. It _needed to stop_.

She was bleeding and no one was doing _anything_.

In vain, he buried his head underneath a pillow, trying to contain his terror and strange anxiety.

It was some time later when a door opened again, and he dared to peek from underneath. That same man with the strange contraption wrapped around half of his face came in with a mewling bundle in his arms.

How long had it been?

He didn't really know. He didn't really care.

The man coaxed him out of hiding.

And when he dared to peer at what the man held, he came face to face with a small and sleeping thing.

What was it?

"He has been delivered, my Lord. Healthy and flawless. Congratulations."

Why did the speaking man sound so sad?

vVvVv

_2 Years Later…_

The sun's rays in the morning were a most welcome sight. This, Jeremiah Gottwald thought as he happily opened the windows to his two-storey colonial home tucked away in the vastness of his orange plantation. He had farm work to do today, and he needed to bring the produce to the local market.

But first… He needed to feed the children.

A quick check at Anya Alstreim's door revealed that it was still locked, which meant the teen was still very much asleep. Down the short hallway, past the Mistress' empty quarters was the other occupied room in the house. And as quietly as he could manage, the man gingerly pushed the door open and peeked inside.

"Mu-mu…" Two very large and glittering violet eyes blinked twice at him, before the precious little face broke into a wide smile, full of baby teeth.

The little Prince was already awake…

And hungry, no doubt.

At two years old, the tot tiptoed in his own crib — his head crowned with silky strands of midnight-black hair just barely brushing the edge as he struggled for a peek, eagerly awaiting the arrival of any adult in the house to come and feed him.

"Good morning, my little Lord." Jeremiah greeted, a fond smile on his own face as he strode into the well-kept nursery. "What are we in the mood to eat today?"

With an exaggerated heave, the proud godfather wrested the gurgling toddler from the confines of his crib, and into his secure arms. Sensing that he was being lifted, he giggled happily and settled himself into the arms of his caretaker and guardian.

"Po-led! Po-led!" The toddler cheered.

And 'po-led' was how he asked for his favorite flavor of porridge.

"Right. But first, a bath." Jeremiah proclaimed, bouncing the child in his arms as they both embarked on the prince's regular morning routine.

The Prince was _notorious_ for never staying still in any adult's arms. He always moved around, craning his neck from left to right and back to front, scratching his head as if he was thinking. Sometimes he rubbed his eyes and pointed at random objects he was curious about, and always without fail, Jeremiah told him what it was.

That's a flower, or that's a door. Once upon a time the baby discovered a clock.

And now—

"That is a soap dispenser." Jeremiah nodded, following the toddler's pointer finger.

"Shop sh-pen-sher." He bubbled, and the godfather nodded sagely.

"It sprays soap. Soap dispenser."

"Sop-disher."

Jeremiah let him babble and figure out the word as he set him down on the empty bathtub, while he went about preparing the essentials.

The little Prince's favorite part about the bathroom and the bath tub were the rubber dolphins floating in the water. And he asked for them now, calling for 'doe-fins'. He squealed and giggled every time his guardian or his mother made water squirt out of the toy.

He was such a happy and cheerful child, shielded by his innocence, though the fact that his mother was not around wasn't lost on him.

Alexander Lamperouge always called for 'Mu-mu' or 'Shee-chu.' And every night before bed, Jeremiah observed the little boy wistfully staring at the night sky behind the safety of a glass window several feet away from his crib. During the day, while Anya played with him, they'd both note how he loved to wander into his mother's room — searching for her and the comfort that could only come from a mother.

After an eventful bath that involved a soaked adult and giddy toddler, Jeremiah Gottwald let Alexander suck on his pacifier and babble as much as he wished as dressed the child with fresh clothes and a diaper-change. Sufficiently freshened up, he brought the little Prince downstairs to break his fast. By that time, Anya was already awake, pouring milk into her bowl of whole-grain cereal.

"Nee-ya, po-led!" Alexander laughed.

Jeremiah set him down on his high chair and left the two to carry a semblance of a conversation while he prepared the young lord's breakfast. Anya smiled, and Alexander always _did_ like it whenever he saw people smile. Anya let him play with his favorite toy, a figurine of the Lancelot, at the table while he waited for the food.

"Do you miss, C.C.?" Anya asked conversationally. She never spoke to him like how most adults would speak to children. Even in the beginning, C.C. had expressed how it would be for the best that they not talk to him in his own baby language.

"Shee-chu…" Alexander mumbled, grasping Lancelot by his legs, and twisting his yellow plastic feet around with clumsy and pudgy little fingers.

"Yes, C.C. Do you miss her?"

"Yea!" The little boy giggled, unintentionally poking Lancelot's mechanical green eyes. It lit up and made weird swooshing sounds that brought laughter out of Alexander's little body.

Jeremiah reemerged from the kitchen with baby food in hand, and a bottle of warm milk.

And thus the makeshift family settled down for another peaceful morning routine…

Life in Jeremiah's orange farm was quiet and preferable. Anya still went to school and was currently in the middle of her summer vacation. That left her with plenty of time to babysit. More people around the house reduced the need for hired help. Regrettably, Jeremiah wasn't always indoors to look after the special little boy. And when Anya was still busy with school and other activities, they were forced to hire Nanny Suzie from down the road.

The middle-aged lady quite liked looking after Alexander. (Oh, but who wouldn't? He was far from being a fussy baby. He was quite agreeable actually, having inherited much of his parents' level-headed temperaments). And while that was all well and good, Anya and Jeremiah couldn't very well throw caution to the wind.

Alexander Lamperouge was no ordinary child, after all… Under different circumstances (and if such a fate hadn't befallen his father), little Alexander would have inherited the Imperial surname, vi Britannia — a Crown Prince if things had been different.

Born out of wedlock and conceived beneath the shadow of the Zero Requiem, Alexander's birth was an oddity — but no less special. No one in the world could know that the boy's father was the dreaded 99th Emperor. That was just asking to be arrested. And it would only compromise the meaning of the Zero Requiem, and put the little prince at risk.

For that reason, they hired Nanny Suzie as sparingly as possible — although they had no qualms with her person. She didn't have any suspicions too.

Things were significantly easier when C.C. had still been around…

But alas, certain circumstances called for mother and son to part ways a year ago. It was clear to both Jeremiah and Anya that C.C. loathed to leave her baby boy behind — even if it was for the time being. However, knowing how perilous and uncomfortable her undertakings would be, she decided that Alexander would stay with his godfather and guardian for the meantime.

She didn't want her baby to grow up in the middle of the road, traveling with her everywhere in search of a gateway to C's world.

It was the best choice to be had under their circumstances.

Anya herself could still clearly recall the day C.C. had set off with the Lelouch who wasn't Lelouch. It was a heart-wrenching sight, watching mother bid her one-year old son 'goodbye' while the boy's father sat on his haunches on the grass, staring up at all of them with blank violet eyes — recognizing no one and pitifully frightened of everything.

Lelouch was the reason C.C. had to venture out.

But all knew that Alexander was the immortal's motivation to complete her self-assigned duty as swiftly as possible. She said as much with each phone call.

Anya and Jeremiah had seen it. Seen the way C.C. cradled her baby and peppered tender kisses across his cherubic face, holding her son close to her, refusing to leave — but knowing she dreadfully had to.

And right there on the front porch was where C.C. made her promise.

She would restore his father, she said. She would reunite them.

Reunite them so her beautiful baby boy could live the rest of his life with a father to guide him.


	3. Restoring the Father

_C.C. could still vividly remember the state of Lelouch's broken and lifeless body when Shirley brought him into Jeremiah's care. The sight of her dead lover made her stomach twist and turn, and made the bile rise to her throat._

_They cleaned his corpse and gave him fresh clothes, burning the Emperor's robes to destroy evidence. But she could easily imagine where Zero's sword ran through his flesh. The scar on his torso was telling, and the angry lacerated bit of flesh was all that remained — dried up and no longer bleeding, but still gruesome._

_Shirley's part was done, and it was then up to C.C. to see what she could do…_

_A trip to C.C.'s world, a code from Charles, and_ this _was what she managed to salvage._

_From the moment he arose to consciousness, and stared at her with listless eyes, she knew something had gone horribly wrong. He didn't speak, and there was no recognition in his blank irises whatsoever. And when she tried to touch him, he recoiled and began to wail — not unlike a frightened child faced with a stranger._

_Half-naked and trembling, she'd tried to dress him, and then feed him some soup — something light for his stomach. But he lashed out at her, no different from a threatened pet. C.C. counted herself lucky for managing to evade the careless jab that would have hit her abdomen._

_17 weeks into pregnancy and her bump was plainly visible… If he hit her forcefully by accident— Well, she didn't want to dwell on it._

_It wasn't his fault, and he didn't know what he was doing, or what he'd done. So she'd tried speaking to him, telling him about the child that grew within her with each passing day. She tried to talk to him about his sister and about his friends. But the efforts to restore his memories were futile._

_He didn't have amnesia, she soon concluded. It was far worse._

_His mind was lost in the depths of C's World…_

_And if she wasn't convinced then, his reaction after the birth of their child was more telling._

_He didn't do anything — didn't react. He didn't even know that he was staring into the face of his own son when Jeremiah brought the infant to him…_

vVvVv

Not a day had passed where C.C. had forgotten the son she'd had to leave. Every step in this long and harrowing journey was for _him_ — so he could have his father back. It was the least she could do after resurrecting him and failing to do it effectively and completely.

It's what she always told herself in moments of doubt. In moments where she fought and sought out for the tiniest glimmer of hope, C.C. would think back to delightful and rambunctious Alexander. She would think of his precious little smile and his adorable attempts at pronouncing words he heard.

It's what she thought of now as she and Lelouch finally made it to the borders of Zilkhistan after a long and trying journey. It hadn't been as smooth as she would have liked. Many a time they had to make camp in abandoned structures and hitched rides — cramped together with other passengers in a space that was uncomfortable. Times like this, C.C. was glad she'd made the choice she did — leaving Alexander with Jeremiah and Anya. The journey was no place for a baby.

"Lelouch," she called softly as she eased the door of their room at the inn open. "Are you hungry?"

Placing the bulky bags right by the door, she immediately set to work securing the entryway — just in case he had his outbursts again. She didn't know what triggered them, but they happened. And after that first time when he'd managed to make a scene by storming out and screaming like a madman, she didn't want a repeat. It would endanger them both.

There was no answer… Of course there wasn't.

C.C. didn't really expect him to dignify her queries with a verbal response. He never spoke, or voiced his thoughts anymore. He would groan and sigh and cry and blink, and have outbursts for unknown reasons, but he would never answer. He didn't possess the ability to tell her if he was thirsty or hungry either. It fell upon her now to determine the times he needed to drink, eat, bathe, change clothes, and sleep.

It was heartbreaking… To see the dauntless man she loved reduced to nothing more than a simpleton with base needs.

This wasn't him, and she _had_ to bring him back. And it wasn't just for her son's sake too. She _owed_ it to Lelouch. If he preferred resurrection, he wouldn't have wanted it to be like _this._

Choosing not to dwell on their grim situation, she knelt beside him instead as he laid down on the carpet with Cheese-kun cushioning his head. She stroked his hair tenderly, like a mother would her child — like she always did to help her baby sleep.

"I'll make some lunch, and you can watch TV, okay?"

Lelouch just blinked…

vVvVv

What was supposed to be an uneventful day for resting and for setting out once more for their intended destination was sharply and rudely interrupted by gunshots and an _inconceivably_ loud commotion outside.

A run-in with familiar faces like Kallen, Sayoko, and Dr. Lloyd were welcome, but the trouble that was after them was not. One thing was clear after all that ruckus though. They couldn't stay, and they had to leave as soon as possible.

"Think he was one of yours?" Kallen asked after all had settled, but she was still very much alert and mindful of the situation outside.

"I haven't been a part of the Order for a while now. V.V.'s gone, so it's not clear who has the—"

"We can talk about it later. I apologize; it wasn't my intention to bring you into this, but for the time being—"

"Look, I'm ready to go." C.C. agreed, securing the last strap around their essential things. "The thing is… Well, I'm not traveling alone."

"I hate to say this, but they would have to come with us too."

Kallen didn't know what she was expecting. But it was certainly not the familiar raven-haired figure crouched in the corner, hyperventilating with anxiety as he clutched an equally familiar yellow plushy close.

"Master Lelouch?"

It couldn't be him. That cowering little boy in the corner, pretending he was small enough to disappear. That wasn't him. Kallen wanted to prove it to herself, and meant to touch his shoulder for her own reassurance, if not someone else's. But when he lashed out and began to cry, blindly swinging his arm at an enemy that didn't exist…

"Is… Is that really—"

"It's rather complicated." C.C. reasoned, placating a terrified stranger that stared out at Kallen through the eyes of the 99th Emperor. "It is… And it isn't. Things aren't what they seem."

vVvVv

C.C. didn't expect Kallen to fully understand her reasonings or the methods. Her disappointment and anger was excusable. Truth be told, her line of thinking wasn't that far off from C.C.'s.

At her outburst, Lelouch gasped loudly, startled by the sudden motion of the strange red-haired woman brandishing a knife from a little pink purse. After perceiving the threat as nothing more than trivial, Lelouch returned to the liveliness of the colors and patterns within his kaleidoscope.

Kallen, oblivious to Lelouch's reactions, stood firm amid the jostling in the back of the truck as she looked at C.C. with ferocity in her blue eyes. She ignored the tears streaming down her cheeks, refusing to gaze upon the man she admired and proclaimed her 'hero' long ago.

Because it _wasn't him_ …

"Do you think _this_ is what _Lelouch_ would have wanted?"

No, it's not what he would have wanted…

"I'm nothing if not good on my word." C.C. spoke calmly, rearranging Cheese-kun atop her lap as she stroked his soft yellow head. "I made a promise."

"And you'd still keep it?" Kallen exclaimed, fat tears streaming down her cheeks. "Even if—"

"I'm not leaving him like this forever. Why else do you think I came here?"

C.C. did not have the heart to reiterate her promise, or tell Kallen about fresher ones. The redhead didn't know about Alexander. So she couldn't know that C.C. promised her son that he would see his father. Alexander would meet him and know his face, hear his voice.

But C.C. was not naive nor delusional enough to presume that Lelouch would stay with her. He _deserved_ to live with Nunnally and the others for the rest of his days. After everything he'd done, he deserved that much.

Alexander could be with them all too. She was sure they'd be delighted.

The majority of Lelouch's friends were unaware of her pregnancy — even Shirley (she, who brought his lifeless body to Jeremiah). Needless to say, it would still be a pleasant surprise. For who _wouldn't_ love a boy like Alexander? He was clever and sweet, and very happy, and he was the very spitting image of Lelouch.

And as for C.C., she would have to atone for her own sin. The sin of bringing him back to life against his better wishes. C.C. was _determined_ to reunite the son with the father. And afterward… Well.

That was for them to know if she succeeded in restoring him.

vVvVv

Toddlers were amusingly akin to drunk adults — not that Anya saw many of those, but she'd witnessed a few events when she had been one of the Knights of the Round. But how _else_ do you describe the waddling and the awkward running and the inevitable tripping over?

The first few times when Alexander had been learning to walk, he would fall on his hands and knees a lot. And although it always happened under supervision and he landed on soft padded floors, the little Prince had cried. Often, she'd had to pick him up, set him in her lap, and play with his fingers and toes to distract him and quiet him down. It always worked for him.

Now at two, whenever Alexander tripped, he would simply crawl the rest of the way before plopping onto his bottom to sit — diapers crunching loudly underneath him.

Ten building blocks, an open picture book, three elephants, two dolphins, and one Lancelot…

What was he to do with all these toys?

Anya smirked to herself. She could _almost_ see the little gears turning in his developing brain. She wasn't acquainted with Lelouch as closely as some of the others were, and even if she had, she couldn't remember. But one thing she always heard about him from those who knew him in life, was that he had been smart… He was an intelligent specimen.

And it looked like the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Alexander was mumbling to himself with words Anya could barely decipher. But it was clear he was thinking of _something_. (Whatever went on in a baby's brain was a mystery). He had Lancelot in one hand, and elephant in the other.

With such caution, the little raven-haired toddler pried Lancelot's mechanically flexible legs apart. He perched the figurine upon the elephant's back. He left them alone (and ignored Lancelot as it tilted in an undignified manner to the side), and moved on to slowly gathering the ten blocks within his reach — presumably to build his own tower. Maybe.

Lifting her smartphone, Anya snapped pictures of Alexander engrossed in his current moment, and took a short video — all of it to show to C.C. whenever she returned.

C.C. never asked her for any of that, but Anya simply liked to keep track of Alexander's milestones herself. It was fascinating to watch him develop. And there was no doubting the fact that his parents would appreciate the recorded milestones they missed while sorting out other problems.

"What are you doing?" Anya asked curiously as she guided his tiny hands when she caught him rising unsteadily to his tiny feet.

Alexander waddled two paces and plopped down on his hands and knees once more, this time in the middle of his building blocks.

"Do you want a tower, Alexander?"

"Wanna tow-uh." He mumbled and began stacking blocks together.

Anya handed him blocks one by one as he perched them one on top of the other in an interesting arrangement. It was no 3D tower, but it was the beginning of a sturdy pyramid.

"How many blocks at the bottom?" Anya asked, humoring the toddler even if she knew the answer.

Alexander made a show of counting the cubes with his tiny pointer finger, and didn't really give her an answer. "Pee-mid." He mumbled instead, tittering to himself at the discovery of his own little secret.

"A pyramid, you mean." Anya smiled and gave him another block.

He took it from her, stared at it, and placed it next to the other three on top of the five blocks he laid as foundation in crooked lines. "A pee-ri-mid."

"Was Lelouch just like you when he was two, I wonder?" Anya pondered aloud, placing another block in Alexander's reaching hands.

"Woosh-woosh." He giggled, reaching for the second elephant among the mass of gathered toys to play with for the day.

"Can you say 'Lelouch?'"

Big purple eyes — Lelouch's eyes — blinked at her curiously. "Lu-woosh!" He shrieked gleefully, reaching to put the second elephant at the very top of his two-dimensional pyramid.

Imbalanced, the makeshift pyramid fell over and crumbled back into several blocks. Its crowning glory, the elephant, lay on its side — completely forgotten as Alexander started singing to himself.

"Lu-woosh~ Lu-woosh~ Lu- lu- wooosssshhh~"

Even Anya was hard pressed to hide her chuckle. Adorable, clever, and _very_ curious. Alexander started wandering away again, crawling across the padded nursery room floor in search of something or other, all the while singing about 'Lu-woosh.'

"He's your father, Alexander." Anya explained. When all she got was another chorus of 'lu-woosh,' she added, "C.C.'s your mother, and Lelouch is your—"

"Pa-pa!" He exclaimed, giggling happily as he tottered over back to Anya with a Shinkiro knightmare figurine in hand — the partner to Alexander's favorite Lancelot.

At this, Anya's smile turned into a grin.

He was without a doubt shaping up to be his father's son…

vVvVv

The Aramu Gates… The entrance to C's World controlled by an organization by the name of Farlaf. If they were going to revive the Emperor, they needed a functioning gate. One had to be in the temple at Gralbahd. The other is beneath the Wailing Prison in the Gimsula Plains.

A less than savory choice to seek her lover's restoration, but they had nowhere else to go. And besides, sneaking into a high-security prison was hardly a big deal for a centuries-old immortal. And it was certainly no heavy task for an ace of the Black Knights, a trained ninja, and a scientist who could take care of all things technical.

And she told Kallen, restoring Lelouch to his former self was a possibility and not a guarantee. There was no use in dwelling on the what-ifs should this not work. For now, they had _this_ plan and small glimmers of hope. It was more than enough.

So they trekked through hordes of jeering prisoners, navigated their way to the lower levels and through subterranean tunnels thick with moisture, and soon enough arrived at the place C.C. desperately needed to see — the gate submerged in water, and only accessible through a secret machination that an immortal like her would have the knowledge of.

Needless to say, none of it had been easy. She'd had to deal with a decimated C's World on top of Lelouch nearly losing himself within the void of tortured souls and family members who had distinct grudges against him. She awoke with a start to the sight of her companions held prisoner, and some oaf with his guards jeering at her prone form.

"This…" She gasped through the pain of several bleeding bullet wounds on her body. "…was a dead end after all."

"No…" A singular word more than enough to draw hers and everyone else's attention. Because it was familiar and characteristic. And it could _not_ be mistaken. "On the contrary…"

Flakes of gold showered from above, descending upon the ground and disappearing on landing to reveal a figure standing in the midst of the canal waters. But while clad in trivial prisoner garb, he stood with all the grace of a conquering monarch.

The appearance of a false phantom bid everyone halt. Even their attackers paused and gaped at the unmistakable young man standing before them all.

For there was no mistaking it now… It was him.

"You can't run your mouth like that when you're unarmed." The Zilkhistani oaf jeered in response to His Majesty's thoughtful observations. "Emperor Lelouch was supposed to be smart!"

"Unarmed? I'm afraid you're mistaken, as my direct subordinates would no doubt tell you. Lelouch vi Britannia commands you to kill yourself right here, right now!"

The 99th Emperor had resurrected from the dead at last.


	4. Redemption & Reconciliation

Not even a full hour into his resurrection and he was already issuing orders left and right, sliding right into his role like a perfect puzzle piece and as seamlessly as the first time he presumably took command. He asked questions, gathered information, and made efforts to understand the dire situations as best he could.

She'd done it, that was true.

"I take it there's an internal conflict?" He inquired, rising from the swiveling seat in one of the prison's communication centers. "This move suggests a territorial dispute."

"It's a nation ruled by siblings." She supplied, donning her new prisoner's uniform after discarding the bullet-ridden one. "The sister acts as religious leader; the brother heads the military."

He sighed deeply, almost exasperatedly. "One generally hatches an escape plan _before_ breaking in."

Other days, she might have had something sarcastic to say as a retort, but at the moment, she was just swimming in bewilderment at how this worked, and how he was actually _here — alive_. Flesh and blood, speaking and interacting, being critical and intuitive. It was a relief, a respite… A feeble form of redemption — but redemption nonetheless.

There was a brief pause between them, the silence interrupted only by the crackle of radios, the sound of him pressing buttons, and the bleeping communication systems to reveal an active signal.

"C.C… Where is he?"

Suddenly forlorn violet eyes drifted to C.C… She returned the gaze with quiet surprise. Caught up in the chaotic void that was C's world, being resurrected, killing Zilkhistani prison guards, racing to the upper levels, and establishing themselves within the Wailing Prison to formulate a safe escape route. There had been no time to approach the elephant in the room. Even now, they were still too entrenched in enemy territory to sit down and have proper discussions.

He was back… But they had a mess to sort through. And it wasn't just the fact that she bore him a son.

"He's not here." Was her simple answer, taking out the cartridge to check for bullets in a bid to keep her hands busy.

"Where did you leave him?" Had she glanced at him and his expression, she would have seen thinly veiled desperation and concern in his eyes.

She paused, and he waited with bated breath. Why was she taking so long to ans—

"Alexander is with Jeremiah and Anya." She spoke quietly.

"Alexander…" He trailed off, almost in wonder, savoring the name she'd given to the child. "A boy."

She really _did_ give birth to a boy. Just like she insisted and told him she would as they stood together on that balcony in that fateful day. Peering into his memories before he'd died felt like watching scenes unfold through a wall of water. But he could remember.

He'd _wanted_ to see their child. He'd _wished_ for a singular moment in the void of space and time to meet his son one day. That perhaps even in the face of eternal torment that awaited him after death, he would be granted one chance to see the lovely child he'd made with the love of his life. To see his face _just once_.

"I need to see him." He remarked, lost in thought, his grip tightening on the communication device between his hands.

C.C. regarded him carefully. She had some idea about how he felt at the moment. Coming back to life could be a jarring experience. For Lelouch… For a man who expected to stay dead and leave the ones he loved behind, resurrection was an irony. It was the least he expected, and she was sure more than one thing was going through his mind.

The way he jumped at the chance to act and keep his hands busy was proof that he didn't want to dwell too deeply into the questions that shrouded his return to the world of the living.

"I need to see him before I—"

Before he would disappear? Before he vanished back into C's World? He didn't know the rules. If nothing else, he was but a ghost. So if that was the case, he needed to see his son as soon as possible.

Gods, a _son_ …

The reality of actually being a father never really sunk in before Zero Requiem. He was at the cusp of dying, after all.

"We can talk more about it later." C.C. interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to find her watching him with equally sorrowful bullion eyes. "There are more pressing matters that require your attention."

Pressing matters like the fact that the damn fools had taken Nunnally hostage, and hurt Suzaku. The peace he'd left was now ruined and tainted with dispute. The worst part is that they had his little sister tangled up in all of it. He was only grateful that his other flesh and blood was well and truly _concealed_ from the knowledge of the rest of the world, thanks to C.C.'s, Jeremiah's, and Anya's efforts.

Hearing the awful news about Suzaku and Nunnally were more than enough to set him on edge. He didn't want to imagine how much worse his patience and his temper could fray if they told him his son was caught up in this too.

Unconscious, bloody, and bruised, Lelouch had little words to say after the prison's medical staff (under the influence of his Geass) were finished tending to his wounds and physical injuries. Wrapped up in bandages, he gave orders to let Zero's tired body rest.

It was only a matter of time before he woke up, and when he would, Lelouch hadn't the faintest inkling of what to say to him. How could he even begin to explain himself? He was dead, and now he was not. His body was supposed to be interred in the ground, and yet he was here — living and breathing, walking and talking. He wasn't really sure what to tell Suzaku, for that matter.

He, himself, understood little of how C.C. brought him back. He couldn't fully comprehend why the laws that governed space and time even saw it _fit_ to bring him back. Was he here for a greater purpose then? Some men would believe so. But not him… Not really.

He'd given up believing in greater forces at work long ago. Unless one such person aspired to _be_ that greater force, then no one should expect colossal changes in the cycles of wars and peace times — long ingrained in the annals of human history, that one.

Shaking his head, the former Emperor turned away and buried himself in the task of putting together an escape plan, seating himself in one of the stone ledges just below the massive window that reflected naught but solid walls of stone on the outside.

The least he could do, was not hide from Suzaku. Not like he ever would, in the first place. Here, he would remain until Zero roused himself to consciousness…

vVvVv

The Lancelot flew over a host of assembled elephants, standing stock still in a sea of blue and green. The green eyes alight with a fiery challenge, he swooped down towards the unsuspecting host, only to meet resistance in the form of his darker counterpart. The Shinkiro had appeared at last, and wanted to exact his rightful vengeance.

Such was an unlikely story borne out of a child's overactive imagination.

Jeremiah wasn't quite sure it was what Alexander was thinking of when he decided to pit his favorite Lancelot against the Shinkiro. But turning from his computer to take a break from some technical work, the godfather couldn't help but feel amused at the sight.

If Alexander knew about the _real_ history behind the pilots of each Knightmare frame, how would he have played with them?

Jeremiah shelved the thought for later. It was, after all, something only the future could tell. For now, here the little Prince sat playing with his toys within the play pen Jeremiah had set up in his study. He couldn't very well leave Alexander alone in the nursery without grown-up supervision. Anya had gone to the local town center on a personal errand.

The sound of clashing plastic continued to pierce the silence that would have filled the study otherwise. Jeremiah felt content doing his work, and sometimes idly wondering if C.C. would call them with news about his Master's condition anytime soon.

All was well until the broken sobs reached his ears…

Springing into action as if attackers had swarmed the little Prince, Jeremiah rushed to the play pen, gingerly stepped over the knee-high gate, and began checking Alexander for injuries. The gods _forbid anything_ from marring that perfect skin.

C.C. would have his _hide_ if anything happened to the boy under his watch… Maybe Knightmare figurines weren't good toys for toddlers.

A quick check revealed no bruises or bleeding wounds, however, and Jeremiah breathed a sigh of relief. But that left him to figure out what made happy Alexander so upset. His face was turning red, and the lively violet eyes were clouded with silvery tears.

"What ever is the matter, my Lord?" Jeremiah asked in a gentle voice, carefully wiping the baby's cheeks with a cotton handkerchief he kept on his person at all times.

Fat tears replaced the ones he wiped away as Alexander sobbed and coughed. He still clutched Shinkiro by the legs, leaving the toy's arms to twist at odd angles.

"Is it your toys?" He asked, patting the baby's back gently. Alexander coughed some more and resumed crying. "Did you lose Lancelot?"

"Na-kul Je-wee…" Alexander sobbed, pointing to Lancelot broken in two just a foot away from them. The torso had separated from the hips. But it wasn't too bad.

The figurines, Jeremiah knew, could be dismantled into several pieces, and put back together the same way. A puzzle and an action figure. The boy must have hurled it hard on the floor and loosened the parts that held his precious Lancelot together.

Gathering up the two halves of the Prince's favorite toy, Jeremiah made a show of peering at the bottoms of the split halves, and chuckled. "It's not irreparable, my Lord. See?"

The tears had ceased and Alexander stared as godfather Jeremiah magically put the two pieces back together.

"No more crying." Jeremiah offered the repaired toy to Alexander who took it and held it gingerly, mindful of splitting the toy in half again. When the boy simply blinked at him with a question in his eyes, he added. "He won't break again. We just need to be more careful."

"Cal-fu?" Alexander mumbled, unwittingly picking at the plastic green energy wings sprouting from Lancelot's back.

"Yes." Jeremiah nodded. "Let's be more careful."

Alexander grinned happily — his way of conveying thanks. He held Shinkiro out to Jeremiah.

"Let play?" He beseeched the man in that impossibly adorable baby voice. Couple it with that charming little grin and the smiling violet eyes, and his guardians were powerless to resist. "Je-wee play!"

For Jeremiah, it was no question. However little he may be, Alexander was His Majesty's son. Loyalty _compelled_ him to obey and play with toys at his young master's leisure. Ordering more herb packets and fertilizer could wait.

"Of course we shall play, my Lord." He returned Alexander's small smile and lifted the dark Knightmare figurine. "I shall hold the Shinkiro."

vVvVv

His throat felt dry and his tongue was heavy in his mouth — almost like two great leads were tied around it. His body ached in several places too, driving sharp pangs of pain up his spine, across his arms, along the length of his legs. Gods even his _head_ was pounding a little. The first thing he saw was a familiar stony ceiling above him, and the next thing he noted was the mattress underneath him. It was far from comfortable, but after being restrained with cruel fetters and being flogged, the lumpy bedding was as good as any luxurious bed.

He moved his fingers first, and then tried his toes. When Suzaku Kururugi realized he was no longer bound, he made the effort to rise. What was the enemy up to? Why had they suddenly decided to treat his wounds? He'd be a _fool_ to believe that they were _done_ with him.

Sitting up with a grunt and a groan, his trained eyes made a quick survey of the surroundings, taking silent note of how empty the place was. The idea of escape wormed into his mind, and it was going to be reckless. But he needed to…

Because they had Nunnally, and—

"My apologies… It wasn't my intention to disturb you, Zero. You still need plenty of rest to recuperate."

That voice… And that face… That _unmistakable_ profile — a contour he knew even if he appeared as a mere silhouette. Suzaku had seen him plenty of times in his dreams — or nightmares, depending on which day you asked. It was the same. He _sounded_ the same, and he looked the same.

But… What did it mean?

"The doctor tells me you'll be fine — provided you don't push yourself."

Why was he still speaking?

Even in his dreams, the faintest memories of the best friend he'd lost never spoke. He was always quiet… Always brooding in those dreams. He would turn to Suzaku then and look at him with those hauntingly forlorn eyes, swimming with so much guilt — a unique sort of desperation was always present in them.

"Incidentally, you being here keeps the enemy in-check."

This couldn't be real… It was just another trick.

But if _felt_ real.

And against his better judgment, he struggled to his feet and started lumbering towards the phantom figure sitting at the far end of the holding cell.

"We have the advantage. Though I will, of course, need your help to secure an exit. "

He didn't understand what he meant by 'securing an exit.' What was he even blabbering on about?

But that's it, isn't it?

This wasn't _real_. He shouldn't be able to walk out of a holding cell this easily. He was restrained head to foot, and suffered a great many physical injuries. They held him somewhere cold and somewhere dank — in a place where the tiniest streak of sunlight didn't exist. And _he_ was _here…_

He wasn't supposed to _be here! He's dead!_

"Lelouch?" In spite of himself, he croaked out the name of his strange visitor anyway.

He was standing so close to him now… So close. And he looked _so real_.

"Yes?"

Suzaku's eyes widened but a fraction, because the phantom responded to his question. He received an answer… But if this was real, and this was the case, then was he really—?

"Is this a dream? Is it really you?"

"You should rest." Was the answer that came instead.

As if Suzaku could achieve any peace of mind at this revelation he'd just been served. It was still so difficult to believe, even at the sight of him just _sitting there_ , focused on some screen and sounding like he didn't care.

"You—" He trailed off, and knelt before him, and _dared_ to touch his face. He should have believed the answer presented to him in a silver platter. From the moment Lelouch answered, Suzaku should have recognized that he was— "Y-You're _actually alive?_ "

"So it would appear…"

"Appear?!" The _least_ Lelouch could do after evading death and _failing to tell_ Suzaku about _this part of the plan_ was own up to it — _not_ sound like his sudden reemergence from death (or a fatal wounding) was simply left to chance and he had no choice. "Don't _do that. Don't sound so detached._ "

He grabbed the _living_ man by the lapels of the prison clothes he wore, tugging on the collar firmly as if Lelouch needed a physical wake up call.

"Forgive me. Old habit."

And there it was again. That tone of voice. He couldn't stand it! Because if he _had_ been alive and had healed from his critical wounds all this time, and if he'd _planned this from the start_ , then why did he feel the need to _lie to Suzaku's face about it?_ More importantly, _what was all that talk about dying to atone for the sins he'd committed and for the sea of blood he spilled?_

" _Bastard_ , why? _"_ Suzaku demanded, stepping back from the man he thought he knew. "How many times are you going to lie to me?!"

What was the _point_ o _f the Requiem_ as his sacrifice of atonement if _he was going to cheat death from the start?!_

"I won't make excuses… Do what you must."

Like _hell_ he had the right to make excuses! Even if he had them, Suzaku wasn't entirely sure if he was up for hearing it. Lelouch _lied!_ After everything they suffered through, after every sacrifice they made, and after conspiring together to stain their hands with the blood of the innocent — the price for a better world, _this_ was what it amounted to?

What was the point of dying to atone for his sins then? What was the point of Suzaku being exiled to a life of secrecy — sacrificing the ordinary pleasures of his own life for the benefit of the world? _What was the use_ if this _bastard_ would just go on right ahead and cheat himself out of his own penance?

If he was _cowardly enough_ to escape death that Lelouch himself claimed he deserved in the past, then a beating was the _least_ of this idiot's concerns.

Rage fueling his actions and dulling what was left of the pain, he drew back his arm and stole the first painful punch, expecting the other man to _at least_ fight back. And when he didn't… That just made him angrier.

" _Damn you!_ Do you have _any idea_ of what you put us through?! The _doubt! The pain!_ You _coward!_ Why couldn't you have told us?!"

Every jab he landed punctuated the words he spat. The corners of his eyes burned, and his throat felt tight. Punch after punch found unguarded muscle. Bruises bloomed and lips were split. There was blood too. And Lelouch was willing to take this all lying down. Well all the better! There was no reason to care.

"Why?! Tell me why!"

In spite of the commotion and the noise they were making, the guards that stood sentry at the bottom of the stairs stood unnervingly still — keeping watch as they were instructed to do by the power of Geass. And perhaps the beating wouldn't have stopped, if it weren't for C.C. descending the steps and witnessing the two boys go at each other's throats. Well, one of them was. The other just relented and accepted all of the blows.

"Suzaku, no!" C.C. cried as she raced for them both. "Stop it right now!"

Her intervention released Suzaku's grip on Lelouch, and the latter was unceremoniously tossed against the prison wall. Sufficiently chastised with fists, he slumped weakly like a sack of potatoes.

"Lelouch never wanted to come back from the dead!" C.C. insisted, coiling her arms tightly around Suzaku's struggling form, doing her best to restrain him with all her might. Suzaku just didn't understand. Lelouch, at least, didn't deserve the harsh treatment without being heard first.

"He's here because of me! _I brought him back!_ "

Her impassioned confession was like a sedative and it tore through Suzaku's resolve as her words made sense, and as quickly as adrenaline flooded him, it also left. Weakened physically, his own will to stand crumbled, and the brunet surrendered to the weight of the emotional stress the situation was throwing at him.

"C.C." He croaked and sagged against the weight of her own body.

Through a slightly dazed and bleary vision, Lelouch watched the rest of the scene unfold as he sat slumped on that slab of stone by the window's ledge, coughing now and again. Had C.C. not come running down the stairs in her terror and desperation, Lelouch idly wondered what could have happened next. Now, she set Suzaku on the floor as well, where the former Knight of Zero's panting and heavy breaths were punctuated with the occasional grunt due to the pain from his disturbed injuries.

Wincing from the sting and the hard ache of Suzaku's blows, Lelouch shut his eyes momentarily and forced them open again to see his best friend sitting on the stone floor before him, staring at his trembling hands. His lips stung, and his face felt tender as the bruises began to bloom on his cheeks and on other parts of his body where Suzaku's fists had met vulnerable muscle.

Not for the first time ever since this whole ordeal started, it began to dawn on Lelouch again that he was indeed well and truly _here_ — feeling pain and suffering from the brunt of a physical attack that he deserved.

For a moment, a tense and pregnant silence filled the harsh and unwelcome atmosphere of the cell tucked away in the annals of the Wailing Prison. It was C.C. who broke the silence, announcing that she would get some medical supplies from the upper level to clean up both their faces, tend to some bruises, and something to check on Suzaku's stitches. She asked them to wait, and gave them one last glance over her shoulder to make sure the boys didn't get into another punching match, before she disappeared into the gloominess of the staircase that led upwards.

Lelouch made to say the first words when Suzaku beat him to it.

"What did she mean when she said she brought you back from the dead?" Suzaku asked, scowling rather harshly at some specific corner of the room.

"It means what it means…" Lelouch mumbled, brushing the back of his hand across his mouth to wipe the drying blood from the corner of his lip.

"How?" Suzaku demanded rather sullenly.

And there was the question Lelouch expected, but didn't have a clear answer for. "I don't know the details. We didn't have much time to talk about it yet."

Suzaku was less-inclined to speak, it appeared, as he barely acknowledged Lelouch's vague answer. All he got out of it was an unimpressed 'hmph.' His friend still refused to look at him, and some part of Lelouch _couldn't_ stand the fact that his resurrection had stretched the chasm that festered between him and Suzaku, even before he died two years ago.

They had their differences, their betrayals, and their begrudging reconciliations. But above all else, Lelouch wholeheartedly acknowledged that Suzaku had kept his end of the promise. It was more than what Lelouch could say for himself. _His_ end of the bargain required him being dead. Well, he wasn't six feet under the ground at this very moment.

Still—

"As she has said, I am not here of my own volition." Lelouch tried again, glancing at Suzaku as the other man stumbled and rose to his feet.

The floor was too cold and uncomfortable to remain in any longer, so he picked his way to sit on that lone mattress in the room instead.

"Is this your way of telling me you want me to put a sword into your heart again?" Suzaku frowned as he spoke his next words. "Or are you immortal like _her_ now?"

"I don't know…"

"Is that all you can say to me? 'I don't know?'" Suzaku scoffed, searching Lelouch's face for hidden answers. But it was as the other man professed. He was _still_ very much Lelouch, but he seemed different. And dare Suzaku think it, he seemed at a loss — like he couldn't gain his bearings in this new world he found himself in.

Unbeknownst to Suzaku, he was actually quite right. Lelouch didn't know the principles and the laws of C's World. He could be here today, and gone tomorrow. He didn't know if there were conditions that needed to be met in exchange for his resurrection. The mark at his collarbone — the very same one on C.C.'s forehead — distinguished him from the rest.

But a thought remained. Was he immortal now then? Because he possessed a Code (or half of it, according to C.C.'s watered down explanation as they rushed from the underground gate to their current station), did that mean he couldn't die? He had his Geass too, and he had the power of the king perfectly under his command. It wasn't permanent, and didn't replace his irises. Did the laws of the universe permit a person to possess both a Code _and_ a Geass?

_What was he?_

"Nobody blames C.C. if she wants you back, I suppose."

Suzaku's voice brought Lelouch out of his momentary reveries, and drew his attention. The brunet didn't look quite as upset as he had been when they first saw each other after 2 years. But perhaps that was because of what Suzaku was currently alluding to.

"Do you remember?" Suzaku asked hesitantly.

For all Suzaku knew, Lelouch's memories were fuzzy. He could have forgotten that other concern during the Zero Requiem — a concern that involved Lelouch's own flesh and blood. Although he thought it unlikely, one can never be too sure. Nevertheless, Suzaku felt some small bit of relief course through his body when Lelouch replied.

"I do."

Sighing, Suzaku rested against the solid wall behind him, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling and the shadows that danced above them. "So you know…. Have you seen him yet?"

No… No, he hadn't had so much as a glimpse of his progeny.

"He's not here." Was Lelouch's curt reply, simply repeating what C.C. told him back at the control room when he asked a similar question — wanting to know where his son was and if the boy was _truly_ alive (and not some fictional memory).

In spite of their earlier argument, Suzaku couldn't stop himself from feeling sympathy for Lelouch. His friend had died with the knowledge that he was going to be a father, and _knowing_ that he was leaving someone very precious behind.

On top of it all, C.C. never intended to tell him about her condition back then in the first place. Oddly enough, Suzaku had been the first person to know. C.C.'s nausea and sudden change of heart towards pizza had been the first clues he'd observed. He could have dismissed her symptoms as nothing more than a trivial sickness, but when her condition sustained and progressed, it was painfully obvious.

What happened behind closed doors was none of his business. But you didn't need someone as smart as Dr. Lloyd to deduce what could take place between a man and a woman who evidently had romantic inclinations to one another.

Yes, Suzaku had been the first to know, but—

"If it's any consolation, I haven't seen him at all either."

During the last two weeks of his life, Lelouch had been aware of Suzaku's knowledge about C.C.'s pregnancy. So to hear that Suzaku had never laid eyes on the baby was a bit surprising. Although, Lelouch figured he shouldn't be as bewildered about it.

Of course he hadn't seen Alexander. Suzaku couldn't be with C.C., _or_ Jeremiah and Anya in the orange farm. His place was beside Nunnally. And it was clear that C.C. had every intention to hide Alexander's existence from the known world. Snapping pictures and sending any media files to Suzaku that revealed the baby's face just invited the risk of exposure and being tracked down.

Still, it begged the question—

"Does anybody else—"

_Did anyone apart from the four know now? Were his friends aware?_

"No… No one knows, I think." Suzaku muttered as he shook his head, rubbing his face gingerly. "It's just me, C.C., Jeremiah, and Anya. As far as I know. They called me to tell me the news when C.C. birthed him."

Suzaku stared wistfully into open air, remembering a specific memory two years ago when he received a phone call from an unknown number through a transmission that couldn't be traced. He'd been so busy with world affairs then, that he scarce thought of anything else. Time's unstoppable flow passed him by too, that when he realized it was C.C. calling to fulfill a promise she'd made to him before they parted ways, Suzaku had almost forgotten that 9 months had gone by.

" _He has a son, Zero,"_ she had said. _"Alexander…"_

"They told me he looks like you." It was the memory that played before his mind's eye that urged him to say so.

At his words, Lelouch's eyebrows raised slightly. He could almost ignore the dull throb at his jaw as he thought of Suzaku's words. Because C.C. told him no such thing. (Granted, he didn't think to ask, and they currently _were_ in the middle of escaping a heavily guarded prison).

"Does he?"

"He has your hair and your eyes." Suzaku supplied, noting Lelouch's wary gaze.

Lelouch smirked. "That's not enough to form a solid picture."

"I suppose you'll know in time." The brunet concluded with a shrug.

"I want to thank you." Lelouch began solemnly, clasping his hands in front of him as he lifted his head to look his friend in the eye for his next words. "They told me what happened, and how you've been with Nunnally. And I thank you. Thank you for protecting my little sister with your life. For the rest of my days, please know I won't be able to thank you enough."

"Don't thank me." Suzaku answered with much sadness, and so much self-derision bleeding through in his voice. "They have her because of me. I failed."

"Suzaku, don't say something like that." Lelouch chided quietly.

Taking a deep breath, and deciding that sufficient time had passed since the fresh beating, Lelouch slowly rose — testing the stability of his feet. There was a persistent ache in his neck, and slight pain in his shoulders as he moved and transferred himself to sit beside his old friend atop that mattress.

"Whatever happened to you or Nunnally wasn't your fault." Lelouch proclaimed. "You and I are here now, and we'll do everything we can to get her back."

Lelouch's words gave them both a sense of welcome nostalgia. They always did everything together back then. And even when the world had torn them apart and put their friendship underneath the execution block, slivers of that tight friendship remained. And whether Suzaku or Lelouch cared to admit it or not, there's was a brotherhood that was simply meant to be. For better or for worse, they were now here once again.

"Together again, huh?" Suzaku sighed, wistfully gazing up at the ceiling.

Lelouch nodded firmly, and C.C. reappeared — emerging from a darkened stairwell like a shadow gaining shape. She'd been gone for a while, and came back just as his and Suzaku's conversation was nigh at an end. Something told him C.C. could have come back a lot earlier. She must have delayed showing herself again to give him and Suzaku time to sort out their own mess… The sneaky Witch.

"Well, it looks like you two exchanged some decent words." C.C. stood between the enthralled guards, smiling at the two with a first aid kit in one hand and some towels plus a water bottle in the other.

Both men lifted their heads towards her voice in acknowledgement of her return, and Lelouch found himself standing up as she approached, reaching for the supplies she kept.

"Just something we both needed to do." Lelouch told C.C.

Their fingers brushed and their eyes met briefly (as if such simple and trivial contact was something to make a big deal out of) as Lelouch grabbed a towel and tossed it over to Suzaku, who caught the object midair with half a thought.

C.C. didn't waste anymore time, and rushed to Suzaku who she deemed needed more medical attention first. The boy had suffered some detrimental physical abuse at the hands of his captors. He was in no shape to suffer under too much strain. Lelouch turned away from them both to return to his escape plans — his task before Suzaku had woken up.

"How have you been, C.C.?" Suzaku asked quietly as the woman gently prodded and checked his bandages for any sign of re-opened wounds or bleeding.

"Just like the rest of us, in a way." Tired and hopeless. But at the same time, strangely relieved and happy now that her faith in her little grain of hope had prospered.

Oddly enough, Suzaku didn't question her answer either. It was comforting to know that he understood what she meant, without her having to explain.

After deeming Suzaku's condition satisfactory and leaving out some of the prison clothes for him to change into, C.C. moved on to Lelouch who looked like he was reading something — his violet eyes roving horizontally across the screen. He didn't protest when C.C. coaxed him to sit so she could inspect the minor repercussions of his tussle with Suzaku.

He let her hold his face to turn his head from side to side before she set about cleaning up what remained of the dried blood on his face. There was the occasional wince and the quiet grunts while she moved on from his face to his shoulders, elbows, and the rest of his clothed torso. Well, there was little she could do about the bruises, but at least his face was relatively clean now.

Sighing, he leaned into the palm that framed his cheek just as she caught herself and hastily made to pull her hand back. Only, _he_ caught _her_ hand and seamlessly intertwined their fingers in one breath.

Loud crackling broke the comfortable silence in the air, and it drew the trio's attention towards the speakers mounted at the far-left corner of the ceiling. It was coming from the radios on the guards' belts too.

" _Attention, intruders. This is Captain Schestaal Forgnar of the Royal Guard speaking. I serve the divine…"_

 _Right_ … They had guests to meet. And chief among them, was the Captain of the Royal Guard, apparently.


	5. The Little Prince

Alexander had quirks — just like every other baby.

He loved pizza and reading and oranges. But not as much as he loved the first two.

It was a shame that C.C. wasn't around to witness her son discover pizza for the first time. Anya couldn't pinpoint the _exact_ moment when C.C.'s son started showing an affinity for the Italian pie the green-haired woman craved so much, but ever since the first instances, it was plain to see where Alexander had acquired the taste from.

He also had a fascination for books. Set against the left wall of his nursery was a small bookshelf that housed all of Alexander's favorite picture books. There was no surprise there, because all three of them (Anya, Jeremiah, and C.C.) had often read to the little Prince just before he was tucked into bed (or early in the morning when he woke up) — a routine established since infancy.

And now at two, Alexander loved waddling over to the books that he could reach inside the nursery.

Thirty minutes past noon, Anya and Alexander stayed in the kitchen, with Alexander's travel bags at their feet. Jeremiah was upstairs, presumably deep in conversation with Prince Schenizel's under-secretary, Kanon Maldini. Alexander still sat in the high-chair, unwilling to leave it looked like, and it was all thanks to a book he was engrossed with. One pudgy hand held a bit of pizza, while the other turned pages.

Anya doubted Alexander was actually paying attention to what was written. He wasn't reading them as much as he was staring at the huge walls of text. He'd gotten his hands on an old paperback novel of George Orwell's _1984_ misplaced in his bookshelf, and when Jeremiah had tried to pry the book out of his hands just before lunch, Alexander expressed his displeasure through the beginnings of a quiet cry.

There were no pictures, and none of the elephants and dolphins that Alexander favored so much. But he was fascinated with the book for some reason.

"What's that book, Alexander?" Anya asked plainly, snapping a picture of him with it before she returned her attention to the bowl of fruit she was eating.

"Book." He mumbled, turning more pages listlessly with pizza still in the other hand.

"It's called _1984._ " Anya commented, tired of watching the toddler get grease all over the table and the pages.

Alexander didn't protest when Anya pried the half-eaten piece of pizza crust from his hand and returned it to the open pizza box on the dining table.

"Nu… Nu—"

Anya smiled, enunciating each word carefully as she gently cleaned his hands of pizza grease. "Nineteen. Eighty. Four."

Hurried footsteps tackled the stairs, and soon Anya caught sight of their guardian materializing back into the kitchen with a phone in hand.

"What is—" She started to say.

Grinning like a madman, one would think Jeremiah had discovered a genuine cure for a terminal illness, until he started to say things like:

"They did it." Jeremiah smiled at her and at curious Alexander who blinked at the both of them with his innocent and wide purple eyes. "They've done it. He's alive."

" _Jeremiah…"_ A voice trailed off from the phone.

Anya hid her snicker as C.C.'s voice brought the excited godfather back to his senses.

"O-Oh right. Apologies, Mistress. Here he is." He spoke into the phone, somewhat abashed.

No stranger to communication devices at this point, Alexander didn't react violently when they pressed the phone to his ear. Jeremiah and Anya watched curiously.

" _Alexander…"_

"Mu-mu!" Alexander squealed happily at the sound of his mother's voice. "I weed!"

" _That's good to know."_ They could hear the smile in her voice as she said, " _I will see you very soon, my love."_

And see her they would…

A rescue operation for Lady Nunnally was in order, and under-secretary Kanon had need of them to deliver Knightmares via the air.

vVvVv

The strife festering between Zilkhistan's nation of warriors and the United Federation of Nations strained the peace he'd left behind. Perhaps it was too much to hope for a future where every corner of the world was not at odds with each other. And wasn't it often said that wars (big or small) often took root _during_ peaceful periods?

The world wasn't his to change any longer, that much was true. He, Lelouch vi Britannia, forfeited that right from the moment he turned his back on existence. And now, for however long he had left to walk this Earth, he needed a new purpose — a new reason for living. The answer to that didn't need to be anything grand. In the future, he vowed that his purpose could be something as simple as wanting to be a father to a son he hadn't even met yet.

But at the moment, the reason he existed — why he had to don the persona — is to save Suzaku and Nunnally.

For that reason alone, Lelouch Lamperouge would consent to being Zero once more.

Only, being Zero and rescuing Nunnally from the clutches of the enemy required a great deal of resourcefulness and persuasion earned through bald honesty. Because unlike two years ago, he no longer had legions to call on at the press of a button. In a way, it was just like starting from scratch.

They made it to the border town the same way they had infiltrated the prison, after they made quick work of escape and getting rid of the infamous Captain of the Royal Guard. Measures were taken to ensure the secrecy of the former Emperor's existence. Upon arrival though, Lelouch knew they wouldn't have to wait long for Cornelia to come and confront them with a company of soldiers.

His assumptions were proven correct…

He'd come to join them. Not a pick a fight.

So when his sister _did_ come out to meet them, Lelouch didn't bother to take the deceptive route. Ohgi, Tamaki, Guilford, and a score of Cornelia's men had been present; Cecile and Nina too. Two years ago, he would have resorted to manipulation and cunning to enlist the help of those he considered his enemies. But he wasn't wont to do that any longer. They weren't enemies. They were all working towards the same goal, were they not?

"You expect _us_ to risk our necks for the likes of _you?_ What entitles _you_ to _our_ help?" Cornelia seethed, pointing her sword straight at him.

Had Lelouch looked around, he would have noticed the concerned faces of those around him. But he kept his eyes on his sister, and didn't waver as he reached for the mask that concealed his identity. Hiding his face or his true intentions wouldn't benefit anyone — certainly not their cause.

"I beg you." He said solemnly, freeing his head from the confines of Zero's mask. "I can't do this without you. I can't save Nunnally on my own. I need _all_ the help I can get."

"If we go along with you—"

"Victory is certain."

" _Is it_ though? Can we trust you?"

His sister's reservations weren't unreasonable. She had every right to be. But in the end…

"I will never lie to you again, Cornelia."

The principality of Britannia _needed_ Nunnally. He wasn't doing this _just_ for his own selfish gain. It was more than a brother fighting to retrieve his sister from the people who would _dare_ lay a hand on her. In a way, he was helping the world get one of their champions for peace back too.

And just when it seemed like his sister was on the verge of denying his sincere request, two more unexpected allies joined his cause in the form of Tamaki and Ohgi. To say that he was surprised would be understating it a bit. Though he hid it well, these were the people he _least_ expected to join.

Nonetheless, hearing their reasons and their faith in his words and what he could do, was encouraging. But none served to uplift his spirits more than to hear his older sister proclaim that they _had_ to rescue Nunnally; because even if the two didn't share a mother, Nunnally was — without question — Cornelia's younger sister.

"Thank you." Were the only words Lelouch really needed to say in response to their support.

The relief sunk in even further as Kallen drew everyone's attention with her enthusiastic gesticulations from under the awning of the house that provided him and the others much needed shelter in preparation for tomorrow's mission.

"I think this alliance calls for a celebration!"

vVvVv

From dusk to evening, the party (if one could call the small gathering that) was in full swing. The soldiers had toasts to a victorious mission ahead, and Tamaki was already drinking himself into a stupor. It was one of Kallen's best ideas. The party was good for morale, and it certainly couldn't hurt to let new allies get to know each other a little bit.

Only, the supposed center of attention at the party was nowhere in sight. Minutes ago, C.C. had caught sight of Lelouch speaking with Ohgi, and the next, he had disappeared to who-knows-where with Suzaku — presumably. The two were missing in action at the moment, but C.C. wasn't too concerned. The revelries inside the house were getting a tad much, anyhow.

"You sure?" C.C. said at last, popping some honey spiced nuts into her mouth, when Kallen finished what she had to say. "Shouldn't you discuss it with Lelouch?"

Sitting outdoors with Kallen reminded C.C. of the time she and the redhead shared bedroom quarters. Lelouch was embroiled in his amnesia then, and the two were working together to organize his retrieval and the restoration of his lost memories. Now, here they were again…

"I would, but…" Kallen trailed off, staring at the pita chip she'd picked off of the plate like it was the most interesting thing in the evening. "I don't have the faintest idea how to talk to him anymore."

C.C. had little to comment on that, and for the moment, both of the young women took turns dipping their pita chips on the white bean hummus they shared between them. In that regard, Kallen wasn't the only one who had trouble tackling the elephant in the room.

"I wouldn't take it for granted that you'll have the opportunity tomorrow." C.C. glanced at Kallen from the corner of her eye as the redhead finished her piece of food. "If there's something you need to tell him, don't put it off."

Kallen cocked an eyebrow at C.C., and made a face. Those were some pretty choice words coming from C.C., considering the other girl had concerns of her own too. The immortal may not have voiced anything that sounded weighty to Kallen, but she could tell. You only had to be keen enough to peer into the faraway look in C.C.'s eyes to know that she had a lot on her mind.

And if _that_ wasn't evidence enough, then perhaps seeing C.C. standing vigil by the side of the main dirt road at dusk earlier was the confirmation. C.C. had her secrets — secrets best discussed with the man of the hour in their very midst.

"Why don't you take your own advice then?" Kallen's retort caught the immortal woman unawares as she turned to Kallen with bewilderment written all over her face. "I guess being immortal makes procrastination okay. For the most part, you've got nothing but time on your hands."

She couldn't deny the simple truth in Kallen's words — even if Kallen herself were unaware of how profound that sounded to C.C. Because the redhead was right. The dust had settled from their excursion earlier in the day. They were no longer formulating an escape plan in the bowels of the Wailing Prison, nor were they leaving the Gimsula Plains to head for this border town. The matter with Cornelia had been resolved. They still had the rescue mission for Nunnally, but that was tomorrow.

She had _tonight_. If she _really_ wanted to take Lelouch aside and speak to him sincerely about what would happen after, she could. In hindsight, it wouldn't take more than an hour. Two or three if their conversation deepened and went well-beyond comfortable territory.

"I know it's not my place to pry… But I'm concerned about you." Kallen muttered a bit reluctantly as she busied herself with the honeyed nuts C.C. had been picking through earlier.

"I'm fine…" C.C. mumbled, gaze lingering over the people that went in and out of the house. No sign of Jeremiah and Anya yet.

Kallen didn't buy it. "You didn't _look_ fine when you were standing by the road earlier."

"I was just waiting for Jeremiah. Lelouch has need of him. And I have to talk to him too."

vVvVv

The evening had settled over the town not far from Zilkhistan's borders. Stars were already beginning to appear by the time Jeremiah steered the armored van off of the main road, on course for His Majesty's whereabouts. They received coordinates from Dr. Lloyd and Agent Shinozaki regarding the exact location. Jeremiah didn't need to look hard or far. If the amount of people coming in and out of the house weren't telling enough, then he didn't know what was.

Anya was in the backseat, watching over a soundly sleeping Alexander when Jeremiah parked the vehicle right beside an armored van that closely resembled the one they were using.

"Anya, I will need you to stay in the car to watch over him." Jeremiah nodded towards the bundled toddler sleeping soundly underneath warm blankets and one of his elephant plushies. "I'll send for C.C. and Lelouch as soon as I can."

Anya made a sound of agreement as she rifled through the duffel bag they'd brought with them, cram full of baby supplies and a month's worth of toddler clothes. She packed some snacks in here too, but now she was hard-pressed to find them, buried underneath all the cloths, small blankets, and Alexander's most favorite toys. They weren't clear on what would happen after the family would reunite, but just in case, Jeremiah had packed the stroller and the baby carrier in the trunk as well.

After wresting the basket of covered oranges from the front seat, Anya watched her guardian until he disappeared into the house bright with celebration. Turning to her charge, the teenager smiled.

Alexander would get to be with his mother and father soon enough…

vVvVv

"A contribution to the cause in our capacity as civilians. Jeremiah Gottwald, Sir. It's both a pleasure _and_ an honor."

Jeremiah announced, laying a bowl of the freshest and biggest oranges from his plantation on one of the tables. Cornelia came out to greet him with an amicable smile on her pretty face.

"I'm guessing the extra Knightmares Kanon sent came care of you? We can't thank you enough."

"Of course. It's the least we could do to show our support for Lelouch."

From a healthy distance away, C.C. watched it all transpire with excitement bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Jeremiah was here, which meant Anya was too. And with them…

"Well, Jeremiah's here." Kallen pointed out as if C.C. hadn't already noticed. "Didn't you say you needed to speak to him?"

Jeremiah turned to their direction just then, excusing himself from the rest of the party to search for her, it looked like. He didn't have to wander far, because there the immortal stood, clad in the uniform of the Wailing Prison. He and Kallen exchanged well wishes before the redhead promptly disappeared indoors, where they could hear commotion and Dr. Lloyd shrieking because of whatever concoction Ms. Cecile fed him this time.

"Mistress, it's wonderful to see you again." Jeremiah smiled, simmering with inner pride. There was no reason to be ashamed or to shy away. He had kept his promise after all.

"Thank you for coming out here, Jeremiah. And for that…other matter as well." C.C. smiled. "Is Anya…"

"Anya is in the car with the young master." Jeremiah spoke quietly, casually leading C.C. away from the noise of the party, a drunk Tamaki, and Guilford speaking to some civilians. "We thought it prudent to do so, considering the situation."

C.C. nodded in agreement. "I would imagine so. It's been over a year since I left, how has life been like?"

The watchtower loomed to their right, and the pair would have continued heading for the car, if it weren't for the presence of two other notable people, approaching them after they'd descended the steps that led to the high vantage point. Lelouch held his closed smart device in one hand as Suzaku walked beside him, prompting a swift reaction from Jeremiah Gottwald. C.C. didn't stop Jeremiah as the former nobleman rushed toward his Master and the world's masked Knight.

"Jeremiah." It was Lelouch who spoke, veiling his surprise quite well. He knew Jeremiah Gottwald was to be part of the rescue mission, but he expected to see him _tomorrow_ , and not today. However… "It's good to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine, Lelouch. Suzaku." He gave them both a curt bow.

"Where are you two going?" Suzaku asked C.C. curiously.

"To see Anya and someone else."

C.C.'s small yet wistful smile was all it took to clue Lelouch in to what she _actually_ meant. But perhaps he should have known from the moment he _saw_ Jeremiah. C.C. told him earlier today that their son was with Jeremiah and Anya — living in safety with them. And now that _they_ were here, of course they'd bring the child with them. You couldn't just leave a baby _anywhere_ without supervision.

The revelation was enough to stun Lelouch into momentary silence. It was Suzaku who spoke up, voicing what he and Lelouch were thinking.

"You brought him with you?" Suzaku asked quietly, green eyes wide with shock and a little bit of excitement, if you scrutinized hard enough.

Suzaku's question brought Lelouch out of brief stupor, and he too started asking questions — just like he used to do whenever he asked about Nunnally. "He's in the car? Is he all right with traveling for so long and so far? Has he eaten? We should—"

Suzaku snickered behind a hand, earning a glare from Lelouch as Jeremiah smiled and C.C. hid an amused laugh. "The little lord enjoys full health and happiness." The godfather proclaimed with such confidence.

"Jeremiah and Anya have been wonderful at caring for him." C.C. smiled gratefully at her son's guardian.

Their little procession came to a halt beside an armored van (not unlike the one the group had used to escape the Prison), parked on the west side of the watchtower Lelouch and Suzaku had climbed up on earlier. Despite his willingness to see his son, Lelouch hung back and stayed beside Suzaku as they stopped 10 feet away from the vehicle. Jeremiah opened one of the doors to reveal Anya's face.

In the gloom, Lelouch couldn't see much, but he could make out the barrier between Anya and C.C. as the two conversed and as Jeremiah went around to the other side of the vehicle to check on something.

When C.C. leaned further into the interior of the car, his mouth suddenly felt dry and his throat was tight. The truth of the matter gradually but steadily sunk in…

His baby was here. And he was only a few feet away from meeting him.

vVvVv

One long year stood between C.C. and the son she loved so much. Nevertheless, the time apart did little to dull the bond that had existed between mother and son. Dare she say, that fondness grew even stronger, especially for the latter. Anya was a firsthand witness to how much Alexander missed his mother, often asking for her, and sometimes looking to either her or Jeremiah for answers regarding his mother's whereabouts.

It was heartwarming to see the usually stoic C.C. shed that veil of indifference. The emotionless mask always fell away in the presence of her own flesh and blood. Now, was no different as C.C. leaned over the baby's car seat and peered at Alexander's sleeping face.

Unable to help herself, C.C. gently stroked her son's tiny cheek, silently marveling at his growth and how much a year contributed to his physical development. She'd heard him over the phone sometimes, whenever she called to check. But those brief interactions over a communication device did little justice to paint an accurate picture of a two-year-old Alexander Lamperouge speaking two to three words at a time, walking, playing, and interacting with the rest of the world around him.

When she left him over a year ago, he'd been a sleepy one-year-old who preferred slumbering beside his mother rather than the warmth of the sheets. The hair on top of his head was still thin enough to reveal his scalp, and he could do naught but crawl everywhere, or give her that big toothless smile.

Now he had a thick crown of straight ebony hair. He was much larger too. And according to Anya, he slept through the night much easier. Most of his baby teeth had come in now, and he was in the process of learning how to use a toilet.

She had been busy running her fingers through his short hair when Alexander whined in his sleep. Two small hands rubbed at his eyes as he stretched, and soon enough, beautiful violet eyes stared straight into her — recognition and maybe a bit of puzzlement in them.

C.C. smiled apologetically. "Did I wake you, my love?" And when Alexander just whined some more, and twisted around, C.C. cooed at him. "I'm sorry."

"He's been asleep for ten hours now. Napped for two, and slept for eight." Anya explained, while Jeremiah came around to their side of the vehicle again, smiling widely.

"I am forever grateful to you and Jeremiah, Anya." C.C. reaffirmed, returning her gaze to Alexander as her son wrapped his hand around two of her idle fingers, catching her attention. "Do you remember me?"

"Mu-mu…" Alexander answered instantly, before breaking out into a wide smile. Two little arms outstretched towards C.C. — her son's way of telling her he wanted to be held.

And indulge him she did. With a small grunt, C.C. hoisted him out of his car seat and brought him to her chest. (He was heavier than the last time). The warmth of his mother around him prompted Alexander to nuzzle his face into the hollow of her neck, gurgling and babbling cheerily as he pointed to several dark shapes in the distance, loudly calling for 'stars!'. He _also_ tugged on C.C.'s unbound hair, mumbling 'gween' and identifying other colors he could name. And C.C. let him… It had been far too long.

"Where's Lelouch?" Anya asked curiously, rifling through the pictures on her phone for ones of Alexander to show to C.C. and the others.

At her question, Jeremiah was reminded of the presence of his Master, and so was C.C. The pair whirled around to find Suzaku and Lelouch standing a couple of feet away from them, very much hesitant to come any closer, though both sported an interesting array of expressions on their faces.

"Lelouch…" C.C. called softly, bouncing Alexander in her arms as her baby reached for his favorite toy, the Lancelot, in Jeremiah's grasp. "Don't you want to meet him?"

Like a man in a trance, Lelouch handed the device he'd been carrying around for the past few hours to Suzaku, who took it without protest. Every step brought him closer to the mother and son he'd had to leave behind when he decided to offer his life in exchange for a peaceful world.

What could he even say? What was there _to_ say?

The tightness in his throat persisted yet again, and his tongue suddenly felt like it had grown too big for his mouth. The heart beating inside his chest dropped to his stomach as he stubbornly refused to acknowledge the moisture gathering around the corners of his eyes.

Four steps. Then three, then two, and then one…

Engrossed in his favorite Lancelot, Alexander walked his little figurine up from C.C.'s arm to her shoulder. C.C. bounced him in her arms to get his attention, even leaned close and whispered words into his ear as father and son unwittingly participated in a staring contest.

Lelouch could vaguely remember seeing pictures of himself when he'd been much much younger at Aries Villa. And while he didn't have any of those baby pictures now, he suddenly felt like he'd been thrown back in time, staring at an animated image of his younger self.

Only, _this was real_ … And Lelouch wasn't looking at himself.

He was staring at his son… _His_ and _C.C.'s_ son. And he looked exactly as he'd imagined when C.C. and Suzaku described him and more.

He was… beautiful and healthy; lively and happy; curious and observant; calling for 'Shee-chu' and 'Nee-ya,' and… and…

And he'd never thought he would see him, after everything he'd done…

"Can I hold him?"

The words left his mouth as his own hands subconsciously reached for the toddler in C.C.'s grasp. Like two mirror-images, mother and son glanced at one another, in which, C.C. kissed Alexander's chubby little cheek.

"Your father wants to hold you." Alexander seemed to hesitate, even when his mother coaxed him, leaning back into her arms and turning his little head in the other direction. "His name is Lelouch, remember?"

"Lu-woosh…" Alexander mumbled, prompting a smile out of C.C. and the three others who heard. Lelouch just gawked at his own son.

She pried his favorite toy from his hand, kissed his little fist, and gingerly passed him over to his waiting father.

Lelouch could hardly remember the last time he'd held a two-year old. He could recall carrying Nunnally when she was a toddler too. He wouldn't have imagined that it would feel different, but it did. The arms that once held his little sister now cradled his son.

For all his eloquence, Lelouch couldn't summon the right words to describe how he felt at that very moment. First there was trepidation and slight anxiety. Alexander looked at him curiously, hidden intelligence shining in his purple eyes — assessing and scrutinizing a new yet strangely familiar face. For a moment, he worried his own son would see the grief and the regret written in his expression. He hadn't been there when he was born. Perhaps Alexander wondered where this supposedly important man had been for two years of his life. He feared that his beautiful child would see his father's ugliness, and all the violence he loosed upon the world to pay for the price of a better one.

But when those large violet eyes blinked at him, and his son listlessly called him by name — with his adorably skewed pronunciation, the notion of worry and fear of judgment melted away, replaced with the purity of paternal love taking root — a root that could only blossom and grow stronger with time.

Bound by flesh and blood, the two of them were. A son reuniting with a father who had loved him long before his birth.

"It is an honor to meet you, little Prince." Lelouch professed solemnly, touching his own forehead to his son's. "You are my son, and I am your—"

"Pa-pa?" Alexander blinked, swinging his little legs in mid-air.

Lelouch was surprised himself, but recovered quickly enough to proudly say, "Yes… Yes, I am."

"Lu-woosh ish pa-pa!" Alexander squealed, as if he'd made some great discovery. "Pa-paaa~"

Unbeknownst to the tot, it was _indeed_ a wonderful discovery for a special little boy like him. And he squealed and giggled in his father's arms as the man himself held him close, tapped his adorable little nose, and tickled him underneath his chin, coaxing smiles and laughter out of his precious soul.

Lost in their own little world of profound happiness, father and son got to know one another in the sight of loved ones who delighted in watching their long-awaited reunion.

vVvVv

Suzaku stood with Jeremiah and Anya, a respectful four-foot distance away from the family of three. It was touching to watch Lelouch bond with the son he was always meant to be with. C.C. stood before the two, smiling appreciatively. The party was nigh forgotten as the people present for this lovely reunion basked in the happiness that emanated out of the trio.

"A reunion long overdue." Anya commented beside him, eyes shining with amusement at the sight of Alexander tugging on Lelouch's perfectly tied silk scarf.

"Do you think they plan on telling the others?" Suzaku asked, genuinely curious and concerned about how they would do that here.

Obviously, everyone wanted the best for the baby — Lelouch and C.C. more than all of them, so if Alexander's parents wanted him to stay hidden, then they'd find a way to keep things that way.

"We'll have to see what Master Lelouch decides." Jeremiah answered, approaching the family once more. Suzaku and Anya, following his lead.

"Anya. Jeremiah." Lelouch called as soon as they were all close again. C.C. had returned Alexander's toy Lancelot to him, and now the boy was playing with it — wounding it around his father's silk scarf — as Lelouch addressed them. "Thank you for everything you've done for him. You've done admirably."

If one squinted hard enough, perhaps they could have seen moisture glimmering faintly in Jeremiah's one human eye. "It was an honor to care for him, Master."

"Well, now we need to discuss how to hide him from everyone else." C.C. eyed the crowd of soldiers and friends moving in and out of the house.

"You really don't want the others to know?" Suzaku asked, following the line of C.C.'s sight just in time to see an inebriated Tamaki trying to have an awkward conversation with Guilford.

Lelouch gently pried Alexander's hand away from the pin that held his silk scarf together. "Afterward, perhaps. But not now."

Alexander started babbling to himself again, teetering over the barrier of Lelouch's arm as he stared at the blackness beneath their feet. In his hand, Lancelot was dangerously close to being dropped, and the toy would have suffered some more if Anya hadn't come.

"Lany-lot flying!" Alexander wiggled as he cheered and clapped excitedly. Anya held Lancelot over his head, and the toddler eagerly followed the toy's flight path.

"We have a rescue mission tomorrow." Lelouch was saying, readjusting his hold on Alexander to keep the toddler from falling. "It's going to be difficult to deal with lots of prying questions."

"Best let him get settled for the night. We'll sneak him into the bedroom I occupy in the house." C.C. placed her hand on the teen's shoulders to get her attention. "Anya, Jeremiah, would you mind helping me with Alexander's things?"

Anya nodded once and returned Lancelot to Alexander's eager hands.

"What if he cries?" Suzaku eyed the toddler who looked like he was half-paying attention to whatever Lelouch was saying into his ear.

"Yea!" Alexander exclaimed the answer to his father's secret question.

C.C. simply smiled. "Keep him occupied and lull him to sleep, and we shouldn't have a problem. He rarely makes a fuss, so that's a good thing."

As the three returned to the van to sort some important things out, Lelouch and Suzaku resorted to watching Alexander play. The toddler mostly ignored Suzaku, favoring the company of a miniature Lancelot and his father's clothing for amusement. Once in a while, Lelouch would distractedly comb his fingers through the baby's hair.

"He really _does_ look like you." Suzaku found himself saying, realizing — at the same time — that he'd been staring at Alexander for quite some time.

Lelouch chuckled. "Maybe. But he reminds me of C.C."

"How much are you willing to bet that he would have a taste for pizza one day?" Suzaku snickered at the mortified expression Lelouch wore, before his best friend made a face and readjusted his hold on Alexander again. He moved around a lot, always pointing at things.

"Do you want to hold him?" Lelouch asked out of the blue, noticing how keenly Suzaku observed Alexander.

"I… don't think I know how to hold a baby." Suzaku trailed off, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"He's going to have to get used to you as an uncle at some point." Lelouch bounced Alexander in his arms, trying to get his attention — much like what C.C. did earlier. "Papa wants you to meet his friend."

"Fwend-oh…" Alexander gurgled, peeking over Lelouch's shoulder and entranced with the bright light from one of the houses. "Lot peep-peep."

"Alexander." The toddler turned around at the sound of his name. "Don't you want to meet Lancelot's pilot?"

"Lany-lot?" He blinked up at Lelouch.

"M-hmm. Right over there." Lelouch coaxed Alexander to look in Suzaku's direction. "He pilots Lancelot."

"Mik Lany-lot fly?"

Suzaku never thought of babies as intimidating human beings before, until he saw the way Alexander scrutinized him with his friend's trademark violet eyes. As the pilot approached, Alexander shrunk away a little bit, suddenly shy. Lelouch kissed the top of his son's head as encouragement.

Not knowing how else to proceed, Suzaku Kururugi settled for a tiny wave at the little Prince.

"Hello…"

What was supposed to be a soft 'hello' with good intentions instantly turned awry, and Suzaku knew it when the corners of Alexander's lips tilted downwards and he began to sob.

The sob progressed into a quiet cry, growing louder and louder as the little Prince started squalling.

And no amount of hushing or bouncing was going to shut him up until the party only a few feet away gradually fell into an uneasy lull…

"Is that—"

"A baby?"

 _That_ was Kallen and Cornelia…

Shit.


	6. Small Mercies & Tiny Wishes

"I'm so _sorry! I swear_ I didn't mean to make him cry, I—"

"Wait, I don't understand…"

"Whose baby is he?"

Confounded just like Kallen, Cornelia approached her younger brother as she voiced her question sternly above the wailing of a distressed toddler, Kururugi's pleas for forgiveness, and Kallen's floundering speech.

Her brother looked a cross between sheepish and slightly annoyed as he distractedly bounced the child in his arms.

"Does he belong to the locals in the area?"

"Where did you find him, Lelouch?"

The party a ways behind them had ground to a halt as more and more of Cornelia's soldiers grew curious and made their way cautiously toward them. All the while, Cornelia and Kallen asked their questions simultaneously that for once, Lelouch was at a loss who to answer first. That was until—

"We're drawing attention to ourselves." A voice warned from somewhere inside the van. "And I swear to the gods, Lelouch, if you made him cry—"

"No, it wasn't Lelouch." Suzaku apologized hurriedly. "It was me, C.C. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make your son—"

"He's your son?" An astonished Kallen stared intently as C.C's approach slowed to a stop before them, bullion eyes widening in realization at what she just walked into.

Suzaku slapped a hand over his mouth, Lelouch glared at him exasperatedly, and Alexander's wailing wound down into more manageable crying as coughs wracked his little body and snot streamed out of his nose.

_Way to go, Suzaku…_

"Well, I—" C.C. hesitated, hoisting Alexander out of Lelouch's arms so she could check on him.

"I pooed…" Alexander sobbed into C.C.'s shoulder. And the mother ignored the squabbling in favor of giving her baby boy the attention he needed.

"He's…" Lelouch paused, glancing at the shock all over Kallen's face, the concern in Jeremiah's, the veiled amusement in Anya's, and the horror in Suzaku's. The realization was slowly dawning on Cornelia, and Lelouch spoke up before she could make conclusions of her own.

Lelouch swallowed, and stared intently at Cornelia with the same violet eyes as the toddler's in C.C.'s arms.

"He's your nephew, Cornelia. My son, Alexander Lamperouge."

vVvVv

As it turned out, Alexander simply needed a diaper change. He didn't cry because Suzaku's face was a thing of horror, thank the gods.

Still, it didn't stop Suzaku from apologizing to Lelouch all the way back into the house, Anya trailing behind C.C. as Cornelia led the way. Even Jeremiah was having trouble trying to answer every inquiry — mostly from Ohgi. No one bothered to mind Tamaki's drunken slurs as he blubbered about the baby C.C. was carrying inside.

Yes, he'd known about Alexander from the start. Yes, he had a part in facilitating the little Prince's growth… Yes, he and Anya raised him solely for a year in secret at his orange farm…

In the middle of the commotion, Kallen lagged behind and watched as Dr. Lloyd, Cecile, Nina, and Sayoko (even _Guilford_ popped in to see for himself) buzzed around the fussing toddler C.C. had brought into the house. A toddler that belonged to none other than Lelouch and C.C. themselves. It was quite a difficult fact to wrap her head around. It had been two years since she last saw some of the people convening in the common hall.

 _Of course_ a lot of things had occurred during that time in-between… And if Alexander Lamperouge was two years old, did that mean C.C. was already pregnant _when Lelouch died?!_

Obviously, Jeremiah, Anya, and Suzaku knew… But what about _Shirley_? Was _she_ aware of C.C.'s pregnancy when she brought Lelouch's corpse to the immortal woman?

If memory served her right, Lelouch and Shirley had been dating when Lelouch still bothered to go to Ashford Academy. She was never one to keep tabs on other people's relationships, but for the life of her, Kallen couldn't really remember if that particular relationship had dissolved at some point during Lelouch's rebellion. If it did, it must have ended around the time Lelouch reappeared on international television with Suzaku and waived his right to rule over the Britannian Empire.

Nevertheless, it was still _weird_ to _be_ Shirley and have the knowledge of your boyfriend (ex or no) fathering a child with a different woman.

Then that left the matter of _her_ … She'd _loved_ Lelouch. Granted, she'd loved Zero and adored him first. And how could she have not? He was an admirable man — a symbol of justice and a source of refuge for the Japanese in their time of dire need. He was an inspiring communicator and a _worthy_ leader… And then she met the man behind the mask. It had been difficult to come to terms with Lelouch and Zero being one and the same person, at first. But eventually, she found that there was more to Lelouch than met the eye. He was _above_ and _beyond_ the revolutionary they knew him as.

And as more and more of his personality had been revealed to her, she had fallen in love with him too.

It was just a shame that she never had the chance to express her feelings in the right place and the right time. The only clear chance she'd had was when he returned to Ashford Academy in the Imperial raiment of an Emperor. And perhaps some part of her always knew that if it was a battle, it was a losing one anyhow. Not because of another woman… It was because Lelouch had broader visions and ideals that he wanted to realize.

Even C.C.'s pregnancy (and the supposed knowledge of it) hadn't stopped him from fulfilling his Zero Requiem.

Baffled, Kallen claimed a seat at one of the tables that had been arranged on the front porch for the soldiers to use.

"I don't believe it…" She muttered, running a hand through her hair.

"Trust me, I don't either."

Lifting her head from where it had been buried between her hands, she stared up at Suzaku's wary expression, and followed his distant gaze towards Alexander Lamperouge's small crowd of admirers.

"Was he ever going to tell us?" She must have looked so pathetically betrayed that she hated herself immediately when Suzaku took the seat opposite hers and folded his arms one on top of the other in preparation to talk.

"At some point yes… Supposedly after tomorrow's mission to rescue Nunnally. He didn't want to distract people. But, well…" Suzaku shyly rubbed the back of his neck.

"How long have you known?" Kallen murmured, feeling twice betrayed in a single day. First Lelouch's unwarranted resurrection, and now _this_.

It's only been _a day_ , for crying out loud.

"Since the beginning. The first to know, actually. Though not because they told me." Through the open window, he watched Ms. Cecile and Sayoko croon and dangle objects that could pass as toys over Alexander's head. Poor Lelouch suffered through questions from Ohgi and Dr. Lloyd.

"Is he the reason why C.C. saw it fit to bring Lelouch back to life?" Kallen asked, watching Nina offer an orange rind to Alexander who reached for the peeled fruit eagerly.

"I don't think he's the only reason, but one of the bigger ones probably." Suzaku shrugged, smiling in amusement as Alexander's whines reached them outside when C.C. was doing her best to swap out the toddler's t-shirt for a fresher one. "C.C. never intended to let Lelouch know about her pregnancy in the first place."

"What? But he's the father! He has _every right to know._ "

"I thought the same too. But when I thought about it, I realized C.C. didn't want him to know not because she thought he didn't deserve to know." There was a sudden chorus of 'Awwww' from inside, stealing his and Kallen's attention for a brief moment.

"You were saying?" Kallen prodded, when all the hype died down.

"She didn't want to make it harder than it already was." Suzaku finished solemnly, clasping his hands together. "He found out in the end, anyway."

After all of that, _he still_ went ahead with his elaborate plots — sacrificing selfish desires to be with his new family to pay the price for all of his wrongdoings and give them all a more peaceful world. And now that he was here — returned from the dead, could any of them begrudge him for seizing the opportunity to be with his son?

"You know what else he told me today?" Suzaku's voice broke her reverie.

"What?"

"He told me to stop treating him like he was back for good."

"But how could we _not?_ " She hissed. "He's _right there_."

A bitter smile unfurled across Suzaku's face that melancholy instantly overcame her too. "I asked him the same thing. But he…"

" _I'm just passing through. I don't know the rules governing C's World. I'm a ghost… I could vanish tomorrow."_

Sharing in the knowledge of possibly losing a friend they both loved and respected once again, Suzaku and Kallen gave in to silence.

Lelouch had given up his right to exist alongside the living. The world may have need of him as Zero, but Alexander needed him more…

vVvVv

"He likes oranges…" Nina observed as she offered one rind after another to Alexander as soon as he finished snacking on one.

"Well, he _did_ grow up in an orange farm, after all." Cecile tittered, enticing Alexander's attention as she made Lancelot move in circles around him.

"Oh, don't give him too much. He can't sleep well if he's too full—"

"Was it difficult to watch over him?" Lloyd asked suddenly, cutting Jeremiah off in the middle of gently warning the others to treat Master Lelouch's son with care.

Jeremiah looked surprised for a second. "Not particularly. I haven't been around other children before him, but he seems quite agreeable."

"Shi-kiro…" Alexander mumbled, oblivious to the adults' conversation, and not truly caring about the fact that they placed him on top of the dining table. What Alexander wanted was the partner figurine to his favorite Lancelot. And Uncle Jeremiah had it.

"He doesn't cry loudly all the time?" Lloyd asked curiously, taking Shinkiro from Jeremiah before Alexander could just to see what would happen.

Alexander's adorable face crumpled with the beginnings of a frown as he began to whine and protest with a prolonged, "Noooooo~ Shi-kiro!"

"Ow!" Lloyd yelped and sheepishly rubbed the top of his head, where Cecile bopped him before snatching the figurine from his hands.

She handed Shinkiro over to Alexander who took it from her happily, presenting her with the wide and lovable baby smile that was his way of thanking those who gave him favors.

"Isn't it past his bed time?" A new voice interrupted, and those gathered at the dining table fawning over Alexander turned to see Kallen enter the house with Suzaku not far behind her.

"Ms. Sayoko is preparing C.C.'s room, so he could sleep there." Anya replied without looking up from her phone, scrawling past one picture and into another.

"What you got there, Anya?" Suzaku moved around to her side of the table, peering over her shoulder to see pictures and short videos of a smaller Alexander doing all sorts of things — from bathing in a makeshift pool to messily eating porridge. "He was so little."

While everyone else proceeded to crowd around Anya to see pictures of an infant Alexander, Kallen placed her elbows on the table and put her face at level with the toddler's. Alexander looked content to ignore her, but Kallen got his attention when she gently stroked his crown of ebony hair. Lelouch's wide eyes on a baby's face turned to stare at her curiously, mouth slightly open as he held Lancelot in one hand, and Shinkiro in the other.

"You like Knightmares?" She cooed, poking Lancelot's head.

"Yea." Shinkiro started flying and Lancelot's plastic feet dragged across the table top.

"I fly a Knightmare too." She figured her words probably made little sense to him, but she said it anyway.

"Let play?" Alexander beseeched her, holding out the Shinkiro in offering.

"O-Okay…" Kallen couldn't resist smiling this time. He was just _too damn charming_. "How do you play?"

vVvVv

This whole situation wasn't ideal, but it wasn't _that_ bad. Lelouch could conjure up a myriad of ruined plans in his past lifetime, and by contrast, failed attempts at hiding a baby was the farthest from the worst. So they fawned over his son like he was a celebrity. Big deal… He was just a little concerned that Alexander might be staying well past his appointed bedtime thanks to all the attention he'd garnered.

Thank the gods that Tamaki had stopped pestering him with questions about 'the little squirt' though. Lelouch didn't know how many more crass-sounding nicknames for Alexander he could handle hearing. But Tamaki was just drunk, and he chalked it up to that, and left him be until the inebriated man fell asleep on one of the wooden couches.

"It's late, but congratulations, Zero." Ohgi commented sheepishly, seeing the man behind the mask in an all new light. Who would have thought that they were right about C.C. being his mistress all along?

"Huh?" Started, Lelouch tore his eyes away from the sight of Alexander and Kallen playing with toy versions of familiar Knightmare frames and to Ohgi who looked at him expectantly. "Oh, right. Thank you."

For a moment there, it appeared as though Ohgi was pressed to say more, but he stopped himself when Cornelia re-emerged from the kitchen with two steaming beverages. She handed one to Lelouch — who accepted the offer gratefully — before nodding at Ohgi in acknowledgement. The Japanese man took that as his cue to leave the siblings alone. Cornelia waited until he was well out of earshot before she turned to her younger brother and asked.

"Why didn't you bring him inside?"

Lelouch took a sip from Cornelia's proffered drink, silently approving of the taste. "We didn't want too much attention drawn to us or _him_. A lot of fat good _that_ plan was, though."

Cornelia chuckled in response to Lelouch's smirk. "Did Kururugi really make him cry?"

"No, I don't think so." It was C.C. who answered as she materialized at the kitchen entrance, carrying with her a bottle of warm milk and some damp towels. "He needed a diaper change. Alexander hates feeling dirty."

"Sounds a lot like someone I know." His sister eyed him knowingly, and the faintest flush crept up his neck at the fuzzy memory of his much younger self whining about the mud after a rainy day. C.C. herself couldn't resist laughing a little, knowing exactly what Cornelia meant by that. She _was_ largely present throughout his own childhood long ago, was she not? "A few minutes of meeting him, and I can already tell the resemblance. He _really_ looks like you too."

C.C. excused herself of them both, and they watched her approach his son in the midst of his admirers. Alexander grabbed the bottle of warm milk when C.C. offered it to him, and began to suckle on the nip as he continued playing with Kallen. The others were crowding around Anya, cooing and fawning over pictures, it looked like.

Cornelia claimed the empty spot on the wooden bench Lelouch occupied and sipped from her own drink. "Normally, I'd lecture you about teenage pregnancy, but…"

"Can we not?"

He knocked C.C. up at eighteen. He _was_ legally an adult, and besides, the conditions then weren't exactly the most normal or trivial. C.C. herself was well over a couple of centuries-old. The fact that she even conceived was a mystery to him still, and it was something he didn't care to ponder on _too deeply_. He was always under the impression that she couldn't have children. Well, he had been _clearly_ wrong. He'd gotten her pregnant, and that was that.

"When… was he conceived?" Cornelia trailed off cautiously, suddenly mindful about how sensitive her question was.

Lelouch sighed, setting the mug down on a spot where it won't fall off and shatter. "May… During the last two months of my reign."

From across the room, Alexander called for 'Mu-mu' with Lancelot still in hand. Kallen took the half-empty baby bottle from him as Suzaku rejoined the two women and looked like he was reintroducing himself to Alexander. They heard faint calls of 'See-zaku' and 'Ka-len' not long after, and then giggling as his son's new uncle started making silly faces and producing motorboat noises.

Securely held in C.C.'s arms, the pair had Alexander's rapt attention until the toddler got bored and laid his head on his mother's shoulder instead. And by the _gods…_ C.C. had never looked more attractive to him than when she had secret conversations with her baby.

Alexander's little smiles and his sleepily drooping eyelids were all Lelouch really needed to see to know that his baby boy was ready for bed.

"Did you really plan it all?" Cornelia asked, shattering Lelouch's feather-brained thoughts. She was still busy watching the cozy little scene playing out before the both of them.

"Yes…" Lelouch replied as he watched C.C. excuse herself from Kallen and Suzaku. She drifted to an open window, still speaking to Alexander with words he couldn't hear. "Except the part where I live."

"You _intended to die_?" Cornelia looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

One look was all it took to convey the implications in his words. He should be concerned about revealing bits and pieces of the real meaning behind the Requiem, but he really didn't mind now. So long as he was still _dead_ to the rest of the world, it was all well and good.

"I'm _supposed_ to be dead. But here I am."

Cornelia drank the last of her beverage and stared into the empty depths of a soiled mug. "In the end, I'm glad you didn't."

If Lelouch was surprised at the sincerity in Cornelia's words, he didn't show it. "Strange coming from you. You're a champion of justice. Surely you'd agree that my sins deserve their due."

"Living the rest of your life in secret is punishment enough." Cornelia folded her hands in her lap as C.C. turned away from the open window with a slumbering toddler nestled in her arms. "Also, it wouldn't be right to take a son's father away."

The truth in Cornelia's words were stark… Living endlessly wasn't the only punishment for him (and C.C.) now though. _If_ he _did_ possess a kernel of immortality that he _somehow_ inherited from his deceased father, then he needed to face the truth that someday, he and C.C. would have to witness their own son's demise. Because while they _might not be_ susceptible to dying form aging, Alexander surely was.

Alexander wasn't going to stay a baby forever… He would grow into a man who would command a life of his own. But most of all, _he was mortal_. Unless, of course, C.C. would force her Code on him, which Lelouch doubted she would do. C.C. loved sparingly as it was. But if she loved someone, she would be devoted to their well-being.

There were things he _still_ didn't understand about C.C. But he was sure of one thing…

She _loved_ Alexander.

She didn't have to tell him anything, and he already knew. She loved her baby enough to defy the laws of space and time to resurrect the father her son needed.

But all of that was a long way yet… Alexander was only halfway at being two years old, and couldn't even speak in complex sentences.

"Be a better father to him than our own was to all of us." Cornelia finally said, both siblings acknowledging the mistakes of their own sire. All could agree that Charles zi Britannia had been a _terrible_ father, at least.

"I will be… He deserves nothing less."

This, he vowed on however long he'd been granted with.

"You plan to leave him here when we leave tomorrow?" Cornelia got up, a hand on her hip.

"Regrettably… A rescue mission is no place for a toddler. Anya will stay and look after him."

"I thought so." His sister agreed, surveying the soldiers present within the house. "We'll leave seven men here to guard him too. We can't take any chances even if no one knows about him now but us."

"Thank you…"

"And speaking of which, don't you have a mission plan to explain to all of us?" Cornelia raised an eyebrow as Lelouch finished the drink she'd given him.

Silently noting that Alexander and C.C. were no longer in the common room and had retired to one of the bedrooms for the night, Lelouch rose to his feet with his smart device in hand. His sister was right… Whatever had transpired tonight, they had a _crucial_ rescue mission tomorrow, and he'd be _damned_ if he was going fail at saving his precious little sister.

Tomorrow, those wretches would witness how foolish it was to cross Zero and disrupt the peace he'd given to the world.

But for now…

"I need your attention, everyone. We have a rescue mission to discuss."

vVvVv

Their allies had retired to their own quarters hours ago... After Lelouch laid down their plans and discussed strategies, the soldiers were dismissed and everyone went their separate ways for bed. C.C. had reappeared in the common room briefly to take part in Lelouch's planning, but she still prioritized watching over Alexander above all else. Lelouch can give her a rundown tomorrow, if he wished.

Yawning, C.C. rested her head atop her folded arms on the mattress. She'd been wanting to sleep for hours, but for some reason, slumber was eluding her. It was irritating.

But instead of cursing Morpheus, she settled for watching her baby instead… She'd missed him for an entire year, and she hadn't been present for his second birthday. She _wanted_ to savor every minute she spent with him now, even if he _was_ asleep. He'd woken up thirty minutes ago, seeking his favorite elephant plushy that they both named, Mr. Tusks.

Now with Mr. Tusks wrapped in his little arms, Alexander slept soundly in the midst of the baby pillows and blankets she'd surrounded him with in the middle of the bed.

Watching him sleep oft reminded her of how _she_ used to watch his father slumber on during the last two months of his life.

Lelouch was an unpredictable sleeper. Some nights he slept lightly, and in other times, not even the loudest of commotions would be enough to disrupt his dreaming. In the worst of times, it was harrowing. But in the best of instances, it was a blessing. It was a queer trait Alexander inherited from him.

All evening, it was all she heard…

_He looks so much like his father… He has Lelouch's eyes! He reminds me of Lelouch. He's just like Lelouch. That's Lelouch as a baby!_

And it made her smile… Well, because—

Because it was what she wished for when she'd found out about Alexander for the first time. And even when a mindless Lelouch had been brought back from the dead, that little wish had persisted.

She'd _wanted_ and secretly _pleaded_ for a lasting remembrance of Lelouch. And whoever or whatever was in-charge out there, saw it fit to grant a mother's simple wish.

"It's late… Why aren't you asleep?"

A familiar voice whispered, disrupting the comfortable silence of her room. She didn't hear him come in, and she blamed her exhaustion more than the oiled hinges on the door. Lelouch's tall frame came into what little illumination the starlight offered through the transparent window.

"I _can't_ sleep." She whispered in reply as she watched him claim a seat on the ottoman at the foot of the double bed. "Anyway, I should be asking _you_ the same question. We're leaving for the capital tomorrow."

Lelouch's smile was wan but soft as he gazed upon his slumbering son. "I wanted to see him before I went to bed. And I wanted to check on _you_."

"Me?" C.C. teased with a coy little smile and with mischief that didn't quite show in her eyes. They were overshadowed with physical exhaustion. Today was an eventful day, after all. "Is that _genuine_ concern, I hear?"

"Can it." Lelouch huffed, rising from the ottoman to sit next to C.C. at the edge of the mattress. Both stewed in silence for a little while, before Lelouch found his voice once again and finally told her what he _really_ wanted to say. "I've actually been wanting to talk to you. We rarely had the time."

True enough… However, _now_ wasn't exactly an optimum hour either. It was late, bordering on a quarter to midnight, and they were both tired from the physical trips to the supernatural world and the real world. But _when_ was a good time to talk really? Didn't she say that her only chance to speak to him was _tonight_? Who knew what could happen _on the morrow?_ Besides, tomorrow might already be too late, for all they both knew.

She wasn't pressed to give him an answer, but he always _did_ demonstrate an uncanny ability for sensing what was on her mind. Two years wasn't enough time to dislodge their strange connection, apparently. So, she wasn't all that surprised when he shifted closer to her, until their legs were touching and she could feel his body move subtly with every breath he took.

She stubbornly ignored the quickening of her own heartbeat as she kept her gaze on the meager view outside the only window in this bedroom.

"Talk to me, C.C." He implored quietly, feigning ignorance to the way her body quivered in response to his closeness, and at the same time, praying that she wouldn't discern the way he trembled as he stewed in contained eagerness.

Emboldened by her subtle reactions to him, he dared to wound a lock of chartreuse hair between his fingers as he leaned ever closer and placed his chin atop her left shoulder.

"I've been wanting to speak to you…"


	7. Lovers' Secrets

" _I've been wanting to speak to you…"_

And she did too…

With a quiet sigh, C.C. freed herself from his gentle grasp, spanning the length of the room with her strides. She stopped before the window that overlooked a mostly barren landscape — sand dunes great and small as far as she could see. Mostly desolate and eerily quiet — laughably similar to how her life had been for the past two years, her darkness held at bay by her only source of hope and light: her baby.

But it didn't have to be that way any longer, if she willed it.

"What do you think about him?"

C.C. made no indication that she heard the slightest bit of surprise in the way Lelouch's breath hitched. Was that not the question he was expecting or wanting to hear?

"He's beautiful…" He trailed off, and when she turned to look at him over her shoulder, found him hovering over their son's sleeping form, curled around a squished Mr. Tusks. "Although, he took to me much faster than I first thought. Why is that?"

"You're not entirely a stranger to him, you know." C.C. returned to her view of the outside, with a secret and bittersweet smile across her lips, remembering the very first time they introduced the son to his father. "True, your mind was trapped in C's World for the better part of 2 years, but he spent a year of his life seeing you in the house. I made sure he knew who you were, and what you were going through. I don't think he understood, but I told him anyway."

The beginnings of a frown drew his eyebrows together as he tried hard to dig through the plethora of fuzzy memories, and was severely disappointed when he could come up with none. "I don't remember speaking to him."

"No, you wouldn't have remembered…"

Lelouch stared at her silhouetted form, hands clasped together with his elbows resting above each knee.

"I'm not going to lie about this and tell you that it wasn't hard. Whoever said pregnancy was the best experience a woman can have was _lying_." Abandoning her view of the dusty landscape, she whirled around and leaned against the sill with her arms folded across her chest. "The worst part was the labor. Lasted a day and a half."

The cloud of wistfulness overcame her in that instant, taking her back to a familiar colonial home with the brick exteriors and the two-tone walls — the plain ceiling above her head. The blood on the sheets, the pain, the terror — the excruciating feeling of being ripped in two. Her groans of anguish had permeated the room so much that the silence that followed after the birth had seemed deafening.

And Lelouch could do naught but imagine her suffering when she had labored to bring his son into the world. It was more than physical pain if he accounted for her emotional turmoils and the psychological tribulations. Words were wind, and apologies were empty consolations for past tortures. What a shame that that was all he had left to offer.

It was one of the reasons why he _hated_ apologizing so much in the past. There were mistakes that could be slapped with an 'I'm sorry' bandage. But errors (of grand scales) the likes _he_ committed and the consequences that came after weren't so easily mended with two simple words.

No amount of apologizing could undo irreparable damages. It couldn't bring lost innocent lives back from the dead. It couldn't change the past, and it couldn't remedy C.C.'s own personal torture.

What else could he do, but offer his comfort now?

"Where was I?" He asked, dreading her answer and abhorring it when it came.

She could only shake her head. "You weren't you… You weren't there."

And for that, she had none to blame but herself… It certainly wasn't _his_ fault.

Nevertheless, even if she knew she deserved it to some degree, she still found it in her heart to wish for his presence then — and not just during the birth. From the moment he'd died and for the last two years that followed after, she'd lain awake countless nights wishing _he_ would come to her — wishing for a miracle that never materialized until she'd forced it to.

"But they weren't lying when they said you'd forget about all the pain once you finally saw your baby." She continued, still lost in her reveries and oblivious to the way Lelouch was looking at her and to the unshed moisture that clung to the corners of her eyes.

How could she possibly convey that? There were no fitting words to describe the joy a mother could feel when she finally held her baby for the first time. And when _she_ had seen Alexander for the first time…

A sharp intake of breath at the memory had her clutching herself closer. "I saw him, and then I remembered what I wished for when you died."

His throat bobbed. "What did you wish for?"

In the gloom, her smile was telling. "I wished for a lasting memory to remember you by. And, well…"

He followed her line of sight and to their sleeping baby and realized what she'd meant…

"You promised to make me happy, and you did all that and more when you gave him to me." She pushed away from the sill and stood at the headboard, peering into Alexander's face in silent admiration.

The perfect gift… The living embodiment of her happiness and their quiet love.

"There is nothing of me in him. He looks so much like you."

The fondness in her voice made his heart tremble and his throat tighten.

She didn't hear him or sense him quick enough to evade him. And she started slightly when his hand slid along the inside of her wrist, and the rest of his wiry frame pressed up against her back. His fingers drew small patterns across her palm — a small distraction from the heart beating quickly within his chest. And she could have sworn her own sped up to match the pace of his.

One of his arms guided her to turn around, coaxing her to him consistently, wordlessly saying, 'Look at me.'

Powerless to resist, she did. The two-year long separation did little to make either of them resilient to the other. It was evident in the way he leaned into her and how she melted like putty in his familiar touch. With her face half-buried into the stiff fabric of Zero's shirt, an arm wound around her waist, and fingers cupped her chin — tilting her face up so she was gazing upon two pools of muted but rich violet.

"That's not true…" He murmured, the syllables of every word dancing across each heavy breath she exhaled.

The solemn profession nigh took her breath away as he began tracing the features of her face with his fingertips — with every word rolling off of his tongue. From her temples to the bridge of her nose, to her cheeks, along the top of her mouth, and to her jaw.

"He has the shape of your face. Your complexion, your nose, your mouth. You don't see it, but I do. He is not just mine… He's every bit a part of you as he is a part of me."

His fingers lingered along the edges of her lips, and she hadn't realized she'd been staring at him so intently for so long until she finally noticed that she was squeezing his torso a bit too tightly.

"Why did you bring me back, C.C.?"

_Was it because I still owed you a fulfilled promise? Or was it for something else?_

When she faltered at giving him an answer, he sighed as her hold on him loosened and she gently pried his fingers away from her face. "What happens to us now?"

There was hesitation in her again as she answered, "I don't know… That depends on the outcome of tomorrow's mission." _And how you feel about me._

To Lelouch, however, it didn't _depend_ on anything. They _would_ get Nunnally back. And afterward…

Her hands subconsciously toyed with his fingers, as he said, "The best that we can do for Alexander is to stick together."

She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but she _did_ know what she was looking for, and it wasn't exactly _that_. She could live with it, though. If it meant doing what's best for their baby, she could live with someone who would never love her back. They could raise Alexander together, and give him the life he deserved. She and Lelouch were nothing if not great accomplices, perhaps that could extend to parenting as well.

Was it wrong to hope for something more? Was it wrong to hope for him telling her that he wanted to stay with her because he loved her still — even after all that had happened and everything she'd done? She needed to hear that he wanted to stay and not just because he was compelled to for the sake of honor.

She wanted to know if the way he was holding her now meant anything to him other than for physical comfort.

He was no stranger to giving and receiving comfort, after all.

Pleasant shivers raked down her spine as she continued to surrender to her desire to be held by him. One of his hands traveled to her shoulder, fingering the seams of her night shirt's square neckline as he put his forehead against her brow and breathed her in. He liked the way her body responded to his touch, and idly wondered if she could sense how relenting his was too.

Her heavy breaths fanned against his chin as he nuzzled the side of her face. One more longing glance at those half-lidded bullion eyes and they both knew it was futile to resist the secret calls of buried emotions. Neither knew who leaned into who, or who initiated, but it happened…

Their first kiss (if it could be called that) was done to seal his memories while they'd been aboard a crashing Gawain. The second was to restore his true self in the middle of a war zone. The third kiss came after he'd conquered the world, in the privacy of his bed chamber at the estate they occupied in Tokyo — the eventful night that changed both of their lives. The last kiss — before his first life came to an end — was one they shared underneath the skies of a gray dawn, dreading the future of their child who would grow up without a father.

She could still clearly remember how he told her that he loved both her and their unborn child. She loved him then and she loved him still…

And she wondered if he could tell as their lips fused together in darkness.

Her breasts flush against his chest, she stood closer and had fistfuls of his lavender shirt in both hands. She ignored her cynical thoughts, and gave into wanting him and loving him as he held every fractured piece of her in his arms.

He held onto her the same way she filled his new life with dreams and wishes for a better future. He needed her and wanted her, and he hoped she could tell. Pleased as the quietest of content mewls reached his ears, he cupped her cheek with one of his hands and let his tongue slide between the seams of her welcoming and pliant lips.

Fingers brushed along his jaw and his chin as his breath whispered across her mouth, inhaling air that had dwindled gradually in the heat of the moment.

He was leaning in for more when she stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest and light fingers across his lips. The cynic returned with a vengeance and savagely beat back whatever sliver of tender notions had managed to creep through her usually guarded mind.

They could touch and share as many kisses for however long they wanted, it still didn't mean anything without verbal recognition. People have sex for comfort all the time. People kiss and hold each other thanks to physical attraction every day.

Three little words would make a difference…

And _gods_ , she wanted to tell him _badly_. But she cursed herself as well for fearing the undesired outcome. He might have loved her before, but what about now?

"You need to change out of your clothes. It's late." C.C. admonished in a whisper.

He looked a bit disappointed if she had bothered to scrutinize his expression closely. Instead, she merely stepped out of his arms and held herself as he told her that he would come back with a fresh change of sleeping clothes. She would have bid him 'good night,' but he returned as quickly as he'd come, and she made herself scarce by disappearing into the adjoining bathroom to wet a face towel while he changed out of his pants as quietly as he could.

When she returned with a tray and two towels (one dry and one wet), he was in the middle of folding his silk scarf and setting it aside atop the dresser next to the head of the double bed.

They didn't speak further, neither wanting to disrupt the comfortable silence as she helped him finish undressing. The buttons on the lavender shirt snapped apart and he quietly hung them up with Zero's pants. As he sat on one of the chairs, half-naked, he picked up the damp towel she laid out for him and slowly scrubbed at his skin to remove the invisible dirt picked up from the road.

She joined him not long after he started, and was mildly surprised that he didn't protest. So she helped him clean, just like she did for the past two years for his empty vessel. There were no complaints, no teasing, and no biting remarks. She gently glossed over the ugly red scar and the raised skin across his bare chest — the scar he would carry for as long as he existed, lying just below his clavicle where the Code was — before moving on to his face.

They finished and he shrugged his white dress shirt on as they stared at each other some more.

"I don't want to fall asleep alone tonight." She said at last.

The reluctant confession was her way of giving him roundabout permission to stay (or an offer, depending on who you asked). Needless to say, he was thinking of the same thing anyway. The room he claimed in the house was unfamiliar, and it felt empty and cold. Was it wrong to seek solace in someone familiar for one night?

He watched quietly as she carefully settled underneath the sheets on the same double bed that their baby occupied. She took a moment to make sure everything was placed accordingly so they wouldn't disturb Alexander, and when everything was ensured, she looked to him and his silhouette standing there like a statue beside the bed.

"Are you sure?" He murmured when she patted the empty spot she'd left for him. How ironic that they fought over bed space before.

An indifferent shrug was the response; followed by, "You can do whatever you please."

One minute she was hinting that she wanted him to stay, and then insinuating that it didn't matter if he left or not the next. She would _forever_ be a puzzle to him.

There was little protest after, and the rest of their actions were conducted in silence — only interrupted by the rustle of sheets and the movement of bare feet underneath the blankets. He quietly admired C.C. as she bent over their son and made sure he was still tucked in comfortably before settling down on her side, with her back to him.

Room on top of the mattress was limited, thanks to three human beings occupying it instead of two, but the former Emperor didn't mind much. He was unintentionally spooning C.C., and their shared warmth actually felt nice. He even resorted to indulging himself by sliding a careful arm through the minute space between her shoulder and her head on the pillow so he could hold her comfortably. His other free hand leisurely stroked her hair.

Mother and son breathed quietly beside him, and he couldn't help smiling a little.

After how tiring the day had been, it felt wonderful to end it this way. They had plenty to take care of tomorrow, but the mission was a few long hours away yet, and for now they had this.

Only Nunnally was missing from the picture, and he'd _get her back_ at whatever costs necessary. And afterward… Well, that depended quite a bit on C.C., didn't it?

He _wanted_ to stay with her. He wanted to be a father to his son.

And the two were non-negotiable. He refused to keep one without the other. On top of Alexander deserving a complete family, _he_ personally needed and wanted C.C. He was sure that if he spoke his thoughts aloud to anyone else, perhaps they would have laughed at him for being so nonsensically dependent on this woman. But in truth, he couldn't bear the thought of leaving her now or her leaving him.

He'd given her his thoughts. Now he need only wait, hopefully not for long.

He would do _anything_ to make her happy, even if her happiness depended on her being without him. He'd been such a _nuisance_ to her all this time, if he thought about it. They'd met over four years ago, and what actions of significant value had he contributed to her, really?

All he'd done since the beginning (intentional or no) was bring down more trouble on her head. It didn't matter to him back then (when he was consumed in his thirst for vengeance and justice), but whenever he thought about it now, he couldn't help feeling guilty. The one ally that had never turned their back on him throughout his two-year journey from commoner to conqueror had been wresting him out from his pit of troubles and torments, and what did he give her in return?

He could argue that he'd given her Alexander — the son she loved so much, but Alexander wasn't a life created from his own will alone.

What was he giving her all this time then?

Just pain and sadness? Because ever since his return, his C.C. wasn't quite the same. Most of her mischief was nonexistent, and if that side of her ever came to the surface, it was always shadowed with the miasma of far heavier circumstances. The only time he'd seen her genuinely smile was when Jeremiah and Anya arrived with Alexander.

Well, _he_ wanted to coax a genuine smile out of her too.

This woman had given him so much — cared for him when she could have left him long ago. She could have abandoned him, take their baby and live somewhere far — where she wouldn't be touched by the harrowing politics of the world, and won't fall prey to the dread of losing her baby to people who loathed him so. She shouldn't have to put up with him from the moment she realized he couldn't fulfill their initial contract after all.

But she did… And she stayed. And they found love. And the fruit of that love was sleeping beside C.C., nestled in her arms.

It was about time he returned her devotion in equal (and in exceeding) measure too.

And not just because of honor or obligation. No…

He might have been unsure of a lot of things when he'd returned from the depths of C's World, but he didn't waver at acknowledging the truth of his own feelings.

He'd loved her then, and he loved her still…

Gods knew he'd wanted to blurt out the truth right then and there, when he had her in his arms. But it was a question of whether his confession would be accepted with open arms. For all he knew, she could be caring for him out of obligation, or for her own self-serving reasons. He'd tried to probe the truth through a kiss… But she pushed him away.

What was he supposed to make of that? He was no mind-reader.

His Witch was nothing if not frank. If she, well, loved him, she would let him know, wouldn't she?

The hand that had been smoothing her hair stilled. Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed when she drifted off to sleep — the only sound in the room, her heavy breathing. He stared at the back of her head, wondering what went on in there. Nevertheless, after everything that had transpired…

"My brave, sweet, and strong queen. Thank you for all you've done, C.C…"


	8. One Last Bye-bye

He peeled his eyes open and blinked several times to rid himself of disorientation. Stucco walls and a brown ceiling with an overhang fan… For a moment, he'd forgotten that he wasn't at Ashford Academy. On the contrary, they were _miles_ away from Japan and the life he'd known first was all but forgotten. The early morning sun shone through the window, and there were bags sitting below the sill, a tray with forgotten towels, and just like that, last night's late events came rushing back.

He must have moved in his sleep, because _this_ was not the position he remembered sleeping in. Further proof was in the fact that his right arm felt numb, because C.C. had unintentionally used it as a pillow. Drowsily shaking the dead arm to get rid of the pins and needles, Lelouch shifted to his other side, curious if C.C. and Alexander were still there.

"Boo!"

Startled, Lelouch stared like a dimwit at his son sitting in bed with his arm outstretched, presumably to poke him awake. When his eyes wandered higher, he suspected he knew why. C.C. sat cross-legged against the wall just behind him, holding her yellow plaything close.

The dumbfounded look on his face amplified Alexander's toothy smile, until it grew into a giggle as he stared back-and-forth between mother and son.

Were they _watching him sleep?_

"Boo!" Alexander repeated, squealing merrily as he finally succeeded at poking the tip of his father's nose.

"Were you staring at me _this whole time?_ " He croaked, rubbing his eyes and relenting to Alexander's curious prodding. The toddler pulled on his earlobes and touched his face, unintentionally squeezing his cheeks, all while mumbling to himself.

"We were playing when he ignored me in favor of waking you up." C.C. explained, hiding her amused smile behind the plushy's big yellow head.

Playing… What was she—?

Oh… Strewn all over the other side of the bed were what he presumed to be Alexander's favorite toys. The elephant was laying on it's side, and scattered next to it were Lancelot and Shinkiro. There was also a macaque, a squirrel monkey, and a chimpanzee. Lelouch wondered idly what other wild animals were included in his son's stuffed menagerie.

"He loves animals." Lelouch observed as he rolled over and laid on his stomach, eyeing the creatures made of cloth and cotton.

"Mostly elephants." C.C. nodded and smiled when Alexander looked at his mother over his shoulder. "And you like primates too, don't you, my love?"

"Ply-maaaayyy~" Was Alexander's way of agreeing as he grabbed for the squirrel monkey C.C. handed to him.

Entertained by his son's liveliness first thing in the morning, Lelouch found a smile threatening to stretch across his lips. Muted diaper crunching followed as Alexander hastily crawled closer to him and dumped the stuffed primate between his elbows.

"Does he have a name?" Lelouch asked, fingering the stuffed creature's hard black nose.

"Moong-kee…" Alexander giggled as he dragged the chimpanzee and the macaque to his father and left them there as he slowly climbed to his feet.

C.C. already seemed to know what his son was after because she set her yellow plushy aside and lightly held his tiny hand to stabilize him as he tottered to her and fell onto her lap, squealing with laughter when she bent lower and gently blew into his ear. A tickle fest ensued and he was treated to the sight of C.C. teasing and tickling their baby boy while he wriggled and giggled and shrieked with joy.

Feeling liked he'd been forgotten, Lelouch himself didn't notice his tiny pout as his son lavished attention on 'Mu-mu' — as Alexander loved to call her.

"You're making Papa feel jealous," C.C. crooned when she noticed, smoothing her son's hair.

Lelouch cocked an eyebrow in challenge, feigning attention on the stuffed primates left in his arms (by Alexander himself) instead.

"Pa-pa je-wus?" The little Prince blinked innocently at his mother and turned to his father, as if he knew what the word 'jealous' even meant. "Je-wus?"

"It means he wants to play with you." C.C. said in a loud whisper, daintily fixing the collar of Alexander's sleeping shirt dotted with solar system planets.

The toddler started babbling, and even if the true context of the word was lost to his developing brain, Alexander understood it as something negative. He flopped back down onto the bed and swiftly crawled towards Lelouch who was still laying on his stomach.

"Pa-pa no je-wus." Alexander mumbled, holding the squirrel monkey to Lelouch's face as if to placate him. "Pa-pa play Moong-kee."

 _Gods_ , he was _weak_ for this. If he always thought Nunnally was adorable as a toddler, his son was quickly rivaling his little sister in terms of cuteness. As a toddler, Nunnally loved to play with her stuffed dolls, pretending they were her ladies-in-waiting as she sat them around a tiny table for tea. In a way, his and C.C.'s baby reminded him of his sister too.

Feeling giddy, Lelouch smirked and gently poked the tip of Alexander's nose. Alexander wailed a 'noooo~' in protest, and retaliated by aggressively prodding his cheeks.

The action took Lelouch by surprise, but it was brushed off quickly as he quietly laughed and took Alexander into his arms. C.C. fondly gazed at her two boys as Lelouch rolled over onto his back and put Alexander on top of his stomach. He was saying something about how Alexander used to swim there as a baby, and their little Prince squealed at this as he kicked his feet and waved his arms chaotically — _his_ version of swimming.

"Lu-woosh's chu eyes. Aaannn…" Alexander trailed off in a sing-song voice, trying to remember what 'Mu-mu' taught him about the human face, while Lelouch fondly watched his son and let him poke and prod Lelouch's face as much as he pleased. "One noos. One mut. Chu eez~ Chu eye-bows— An finny hair~"

From the side, C.C. applauded quietly with an approving smile. "Very well done, my love."

"Yea!" Alexander cheered. Underneath him, Lelouch grinned as he gently held each of Alexander's tiny hands in his own. He brought them together, telling his son quietly to give himself applause for being so brilliant at so early in the morning.

"Are you hungry?" C.C. asked, leaning closer to father and son.

Alexander nodded, scrambling off of his perch on top of Lelouch's abdomen. He crawled to C.C. and put his arms out, asking to be lifted and held. Lelouch sat up in bed at last and ran a hand through his tousled hair.

"What does he usually have for breakfast?" Lelouch asked sheepishly, inwardly feeling like he should know these things, staring at C.C. as she left the bed and balanced Alexander on her hip.

"Mu-mu, po-led!" Alexander called, holding locks of C.C.'s long hair in his hands. For a second, Lelouch thought his son would start putting strands of green into his mouth, but the worries were laid to rest when Alexander simply played with his mother's hair and stretched them across his nose.

"Jeremiah says he's favored porridge recently. Although, he's not a picky eater for a baby," C.C. set Alexander down on a the table that still held the tray with the towels as she knelt before the bag placed underneath the window sill — presumably to dig something out of there.

C.C. fished baby supplies out of the bag, and Alexander stared at his mother — surprisingly well-behaved for a toddler left in the middle of a table. His day had started out pleasant thanks to a lovable baby boy named Alexander Lamperouge, and in the future, Lelouch could only hope he would be as competent a parent as C.C. was. Because it was true…

A year of being separate from each other, but she seemed to slide back into her role and responsibility as mother to his son without much effort or inner struggle. She knew what to do, what Alexander liked, and what he wanted for breakfast. She was a _parent_ — in every sense of the word.

And yet another thing to admire her for was added to his rapidly expanding list.

C.C. threw a glance at him over her shoulder. She understood that he had more important things to do this morning, and she appreciated him for staying as long as he had, and for not leaving the bed from the moment he opened his eyes. They both knew Alexander needed to bond with him, though their little Prince held no sliver of contempt towards his sire.

But now that they had left the bed, they had to face reality again… Lelouch had a little sister who needed him.

"Do what you need to do, Lelouch." C.C. rose to her feet, speaking without a shred of disdain. "Alexander and I will be fine. Won't we, love?"

Alexander's babbling and C.C.'s understanding smile was almost enough to dissolve him into a puddle of goo. For all his mistakes, he must have done _something_ right to receive this kind of treatment from… his family. They _were_ technically a family now, weren't they?

Still, the implication in C.C.'s suggestions wasn't lost on him. They were a family with one more member missing. Nunnally needed him _today_ , and he would be there for her again, just like the older brother he'd always been.

"I need to speak to Cornelia anyways." If she was already awake, that is.

C.C. looked at him inquisitively. He looked hesitant. _Why would he be hesitating?_

"What is it? Do you need someth—"

A soft exhale, and a quickly muffled gasp from her made him smile against her smooth skin. It wasn't as passionate as the touch of two lips like the night before, but the sweet kiss on the cheek — close to the corner of her mouth, and the gentle hand at the small of her back filled her with warmth and disturbed the butterflies behaving in the pit of her stomach. They fluttered around in there now, metaphorically urging her to _spit out her truth_.

Because it was impossible for the look in his eyes and the smile on his face to _not_ mean something.

"I meant what I said and did last night." He breathed into her skin, disturbing the strands of hair that clung to the side of her face from her loosening braid.

She inhaled sharply and faced him fully, one of his arms wound around her hips while the other hand was placed palm-flat on the surface of the table.

Were they really _doing this in front of their baby?_

"Then…" She hesitated, glancing at Alexander who was looking at the both of them curiously — probably wondering what in the hell was going on between these two adults. "Do you lo—"

"Pa-pa go?" Alexander looked at him with naive concern in his eyes.

As if his voice was a bucket of water upturned on the both of them, C.C. and Lelouch jumped apart from each other, both turning to their baby boy instead. The little spiel ended abruptly as C.C. stepped away from the boys and returned to her earlier task with the faintest blush dusting her cheeks.

Oblivious to the reaction he'd gotten out of C.C., Lelouch took his son's idle little hand, and kissed the crown of ebony on top of his head.

"I have something important to do today." He explained in a tender voice. "I will see you in a little while."

Alexander began to whine in protest a little, but yet again, C.C. always seemed to know how to placate him. She gently smoothed his hair and rubbed his back, speaking in that special voice she used just for their baby boy — telling him all about the adventures he could do with Papa after he returned from his important duties.

"We'll see each other when you eat your breakfast, Your Highness." Lelouch crooned, tickling the toddler under his chin to coax a giggle out of him like he'd done when they met again last night.

The reminder of food seemed to cheer him up as he nodded excitedly and squealed to the idea of 'bake-fat.'

With Alexander's temporary worries appeased, Lelouch straightened and with one last meaningful look at the woman he adored and loved, turned to go before his own tender feelings could bar him from leaving the little haven the three of them had created overnight.

Mother and son watched as Lelouch disappeared out the door — taking his secret thoughts with him, which in time, would hopefully not remain that way.

C.C. found herself staring after him for a moment, stunned and a little disappointed as the moment teased them and completely vanished as abruptly as it had arrived.

"Mu-muuuu~"

"Right. Let's get you cleaned up and you can eat some cheese pies."

"Chee-pie." He mumbled in a confused voice, resting his head on his mother's shoulder as she picked him up to take them both to the bathroom.

"Mhmm. I'm sure Sayoko made some for you today. Remember Sayoko from last night?"

vVvVv

Late morning in the border town saw the sun baking the streets and the rooftops of the stuccoed square homes. Being in a middle eastern country while it was close to the middle of summer was a horrible thing sometimes, and this was what Kallen thought as she looked at the distance and laid eyes on the distorted view of the horizon, no thanks to the harsh sun.

Last night their shelter had been alive with the sound of merry-making, now it was a hushed hub of busy activity as soldiers went about their daily business and the rest of their party was occupied with discreetly preparing for the rescue mission at dusk.

Kallen had been one of the few who had woken up early today, and she was treated to the sight of Cecile and Sayoko doting on the toddler at breakfast as he happily ate cheese beorek, which was basically just flatbread topped with melted cheeses — a somewhat plainer version of pizza. She wondered if C.C. had anything to do with her son's middle eastern breakfast. It was a messy meal, and they ended up needing to clean Alexander up because he got cheese all over his hands, and across the lower half of his face.

The small chaos wasn't any help when Tamaki appeared, nursing his hangover headache with glasses of water, and tried to talk to 'Zero's little squirt.' Kallen wondered what Lelouch would think of _that_ nickname if he ever heard it, and she had a feeling she knew he would _not_ appreciate it. Alexander had been content to ignore the loud man though — to Tamaki's utter displeasure. He blamed the toddler's reaction to him on C.C.'s indifference towards Tamaki during their rebellion against Britannia.

Eventually, C.C. came back from the kitchen and moved Alexander back to the room she slept in last night. Thank the _gods_ …

And there Alexander remained until this very hour, entertained by various members of their party dropping in briefly to see how he was doing. The 'little Prince,' everyone collectively dubbed him.

Kallen found it quite funny that it looked like Alexander was holding a royal Court of his own in C.C.'s room.

His latest visitors were Cornelia and Guilford, appearing through the open doorway to check on her 'special nephew'.

For the rest of the morning preparations, Anya had been the constant guardian. Understandably, C.C. was busy assisting Lelouch with whatever he needed. She spied the pair outside beside one of the open armored vans, going over positions on a digital map, it looked like.

And speaking of Lelouch and C.C., where exactly was their other ace pilot?

She and Suzaku would comprise the diversion team. Wasn't it queer to think of the two of them fighting on the same side instead of the opposite? It was a refreshing and welcoming change.

She didn't find Suzaku where she expected to, but she should have known regardless. Through the open doorway that led to C.C.'s room, Suzaku was stealing some time with the current favorite in their party. Anya was in the room with them, charged with being Alexander's guardian while the rest of them ventured to the capital to retrieve Lelouch's sister.

The brunet wasn't any different from a kid in his own right. He looked like he was indulging Alexander's request to play — just like she did last night. He made silly 'wooshing' noises as Shinkiro zoomed in circles around Alexander, and laughter and shrieks of joy filled the room as Alexander tried his best to chase after Shinkiro with his favorite 'Lany-lot.'

She hated to interrupt, but alas…

"We leave in forty." Kallen commented, rapping her knuckles against the wooden frame to get Suzaku's attention. "Everything we need is loaded, and Lelouch needs us with him for his… 'preparations.'"

"Lu-woosssshhh~" Alexander mumbled, climbing to Suzaku's knees to try and steal the older man's attention and the Knightmare figurine he was currently holding on to. "Nee-yaaaaa~"

"Right…" Suzaku rose to his feet but not before gently but distractedly passing Alexander over to Anya, so he could continue playing with whatever he wanted. "Have you seen Dr. Lloyd?"

Suzaku asked as he and Kallen left C.C.'s quarters, wandering to the main hall with the dining table and chairs. Outside, he could see what Kallen meant. They weren't going to leave the border town all at once, unless they wanted to draw attention to themselves and their procession of armored vans. They would depart from here at intervals, with them, Lelouch, and Sayoko making the trip to the capital first. Cornelia would be taking charge of following behind, along with C.C. and Jeremiah.

"He mentioned hauling himself up in the storage unit for the Knightmares, but I'm not sure if he's—"

" _That_ is the most impractical piloting suit I have ever seen." Lelouch's familiar voice complained from the opposite side of the house.

Kallen and Suzaku shared a knowing glance, but at the same time, seriously wondering why Lelouch and C.C. were arguing about _that matter_ in the first place.

"I did not choose this, or design it. Simply wearing it for necessity." Came C.C.'s nonchalant voice as she left one of the rooms, slowing in her strides when she saw Kallen and Suzaku staring at her, and then at Lelouch who was dressed in a courier's uniform — his disguise, presumably. Short-sleeved button-up shirt tucked into his pants with a military cap sitting on his head to hide his face from immediate view.

"Why couldn't they give you a piloting suit that looked more practical, like Kallen's—?" Lelouch stopped when he saw them and cleared his throat. "Suzaku, Lloyd needs you."

"Great, I was just looking for him." The brunet admitted sheepishly, and excused himself.

C.C. followed not far behind. They didn't need to ask her to know where _she_ was going. Alone with Lelouch for the first time in two years, Kallen found herself facing the predicament she'd ruminated over last night. C.C. had encouraged her to say what she needed to say to Lelouch, and even if Kallen had brushed her concerns off by saying that she didn't know how to talk to him anymore, the truth of the matter was that she still had her own unfinished business that needed a conclusion.

The situation wasn't wholly ideal, but what better time was there?

Lelouch beat her to initiating conversation when he smiled at her. "We really haven't had a chance to talk you and I. How have you been, Kallen?"

It had been two years, but Kallen was still powerless to stop the heat that crept up from the base of her neck to her cheeks. Inwardly cursing her ability to flush and embarrass herself in front of one of the greatest men to ever walk the Earth, she nevertheless answered.

"The world's gotten a lot better after what you've done, Lelouch." She replied wistfully, remembering what life had been like after his sacrifice. Daily and trivial problems still existed, but the energy that was once expended on war was redirected to solve more important human concerns instead. "As you see, there _are_ plenty of problems that we've yet to sort, but for the most part, everyone's—"

He chuckled as they both stepped out from the porch and into the scorching heat of the Zilkhistani sun. "Reassuring, but I want to hear about _you_. How's your mother? Your own life? Are you…attending University or…"

Oh… _That_ was what he'd meant. "My mother's recovering well enough, thankfully. And I've been busy balancing my responsibilities with the UFN and the Black Knights, and school."

The smile Lelouch gave her was kind. "That's good to hear."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but he paused when they both spied C.C., Anya, and Alexander appear at the threshold. At the sight of his father, the toddler bounced excitedly in C.C.'s arms as she whispered in his ear. Alexander responded to his secret instructions and began waving sheepishly at the raven-haired man.

"Bye-byeeee…"

Kallen watched as Lelouch doubled back to say temporary farewells to mother and son. She didn't have the heart to listen in on what Lelouch was saying, or what words were being exchanged between him and C.C. It didn't last too long either as he kissed Alexander's head with murmurs of 'be good,' before telling C.C. to work closely with Cornelia when they would follow later, and then nodding at Anya in acknowledgment.

"Bye-bye Pa-paaaa~"

He pulled his cap lower over his eyes as they both headed for one of the vans in companionable silence. It wasn't until much later when they were on the dusty roads with Sayoko and Suzaku conversing in that Lelouch set his tablet aside and called her attention with a simple expression of gratitude.

"Thank you for doing everything you can to maintain peace, Kallen. Not just you, but the others as well."

She felt mortified with herself as the blush returned with a vengeance. " _We_ should be the ones thanking _you_ , Lelouch. Japan wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for you. The world wouldn't probably be the way it is if you didn't do what you had to."

If he hadn't sacrificed so much…

Her appreciative statement was met with a quiet but bitter chortle. "Even if I made so many mistakes?"

Something _was_ different about him, wasn't it? She said as much when they met again for the first time yesterday. He was much _quieter_ since his resurrection, and don't think she didn't notice him distancing himself from the crowd, though he put up with it last night when they pelted him with questions about his son. There was also the matter of what he'd said to Suzaku.

The confusion Lelouch must feel…

Kallen smiled, blue eyes softening as she took in his distant gaze and how his mind seemed like it was a million miles away, even if he was conversing with her. "Mistakes are part of what makes us human. And it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"True enough."

A pregnant silence wedged itself between them. Kallen still had something she wanted to say, and she considered abandoning it when Lelouch returned to staring out the window at the passing scenery of sand and rock and the occasional cargo vehicle.

" _I wouldn't take it for granted that you'll have the opportunity tomorrow. If there's something you need to tell him, don't put it off…"_

"Lelouch, I—"

"Hm? Yes, what is it?"

She stared at her fists on her lap like they were the most interesting thing in the world. "Well, I… About the—" Steeling herself for composure, she released a lengthy exhale and was grateful for Lelouch's outstanding patience. "Well I— I also wanted to… apologize for misunderstanding you, and ki—"

"Don't."

So he knew what she meant — what she was going to say?

She peeked at him to see him shaking his head. "Don't apologize for my intentionally misleading you before."

Yes, the Zero Requiem… What a surprise that had been for anyone who understood the reality and the weight of Lelouch and Suzaku's plans.

But he surprised her yet again when he added—

"And about that kiss. We both needed it. The closure, I mean."

Closure… What a perfect word to describe what that first and last kiss had been. She may not have understood his motives then, but she knew more now. He didn't say much then, and didn't respond to her only advance the way she'd hoped. She could still clearly remember the sadness in his eyes — the sorrow that she couldn't quite reach, and couldn't understand why. _Now_ she knew it was because he was in the middle of laying down the groundwork to play the biggest trump card in modern history.

She loved him then, but did she love him still?

No, she didn't think she did. And trust her when she said that no one was more surprised than her upon being confronted with this kind of realization.

Were there lingering feelings? Yes.

But was it strong enough to compel her to act so radically? Well, no.

He always had his own path to follow, and so did she…

Although, it was wonderful to know that their roads had converged at one point. And she would never trade it in exchange for anything else in the world. It was an _honor_ to be part of his revolution, and to be one of his confidantes.

"Do you think—"

"Most definitely." Lelouch nodded resolutely. "In another world, perhaps… But not in this one."

Kallen chuckled, silently relieved that she'd found the courage to admit it to him openly. And what a load off of _her_ chest. Say what you will about C.C., but the immortal woman had been right.

"I thought as much. I mean, it was a losing battle faced against your determination in the end, so…" She straightened in her seat and stared at the divider separating them from the driver and Lelouch's best friend in the passenger seat.

"Let's get Nunnally back. For your world peace and for _her_ sake." She declared at last, happy for the both of them now that the smoke had cleared and her truth was revealed.


	9. Lost Souls

_It was impossible! Utterly inconceivable!_

How could they have _known_?!

The possibility of betrayal from within the group was out of the question. Everyone wanted Nunnally back and all of his allies had run into problems. Communication channels were jammed, Zilkhistani firepower rained on them from every side, and every team he had under his command was faced with opposition. The preparations he'd made with his Geass earlier today failed, and if he didn't figure out something soon, they would be unwittingly handing themselves over to the enemy.

Should word of their defeat reach their coming reinforcements, then… Then peace would inevitably—

"Lelouch, your orders. Quickly…" C.C. urged him, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

Pinned down on every side, just barely able to hold the line. Everyone looked to him for a plan of action. But it was hopeless, because he had no idea what to do next. Fear gripped at him and jeered at him from every angle, just as anxiety gnawed at the edges of his mind. What if he exhausted all possible contingency plans? They were limited enough as it is. This rescue mission counted on their stealth and secrecy.

Fat lot of good that was now… Their commanders or generals or whoever, had seen through his schemes.

Above the din of static crackling through their radios, and Jeremiah's inquiries about their next moves, Lelouch could do naught but stare into empty space as he stammered, "Next, we… We—"

"Surrender?"

Surrender was unthinkable… Well, it had been, before all possible escape routes were blocked.

Helplessly, he stared at the back of C.C.'s head as he grudgingly admitted that, "Under the circumstances—"

"Is the situation really that desperate?"

For the life of him, he couldn't understand why C.C. was speaking the way she was. Couldn't she see that they were now forced to bow to the enemy's prowess? He should have listened to Cornelia when she warned him about Zilkhistan's military might — a meager force that once crushed a Britannian army numbering to twice its size.

They were trapped… Retreating now would only allow their enemy to shore up defenses and put up a hostile fight against any reinforcements from the Black Knights—

"Where's your ego, Lelouch?" C.C.'s voice cut through the maelstrom of his thoughts as she towered over him while kneeling on her pilot seat — a vicious light glimmering in her eyes. "Your _arrogance_? You've seen _worse_ , have pulled through _worst_! _Where's the Lelouch who doesn't know the meaning of 'give up'?_ I did not _suffer through two years_ of living with your shell, dragging you from one corner of the world to another in search of a way to restore you and complete you, only for you to be taken as a prisoner of war by a _backwater nation_ that seeks to undermine the peace you've built. _What of your legacy?_ What about Nunnally? What about your friends? _What will become of Alexander if you give up now?_ "

Nunnally. Gods knew what these bastards were doing to her in her godforsaken prison after what they'd done to Suzaku. And Alexander… Their baby. They were fools to assume he would stay safe in the border town if each and everyone of them retreated or yielded to the oppressive Zilkhistani forces. Perhaps they could live to fight another day, but Nunnally…

"Lelouch, I will stand by you whatever you decide in the end. But you know as well as I do that if you surrender now, it will mean war when reinforcements from the UFN arrive. You know the enemy has Geass, and we've seen what they can do. How much worse do you think will things be if you don't save Nunnally now? What happens to the peace you've sacrificed your life for if we don't stop whoever is pulling the strings?"

No one else could stop them… Only Lelouch can.

"I know it's not your responsibility after you've turned your back on life, but for the last time, your world needs you."

She beseeched him, and she beheld the shifting emotions across his face. She'd just barely been able to keep herself from reaching across the back of her seat. She was severely tempted to grab the collar of his suit and shake him to his senses. Instead, she simply stared at him, throat tight and eyes shining with moisture at the thought of him giving in.

This wasn't the Lelouch she'd wanted. It wasn't the Lelouch they all needed. He looked ready to give up, and to see him in pain and emotional turmoil was worse than seeing him physically wounded — in some ways.

Perhaps she was being too hard on him with this. It wasn't her place to tell him what he should and shouldn't do. He knew the ins and outs of the operation by heart, so his was the final decision. All her blabbering and venting was just—

"I'm sorry." She swallowed thickly, backtracking on her impassioned words. "You know what's best in this situation. If retreat is our best option, then—"

"Nunnally's rescue and retrieval is non-negotiable. We _will_ get her back." He declared with renewed resolve in his very expression.

She stared at him like he'd grown a second head.

Because how could be so ridiculous as to stoop so low and bow to his emotions and his rising panic? C.C. was right… If he wanted Nunnally back, he needed an alternate plan and quick. Who was he, after all, but the man of miracles? No problem was without a solution. And battle was just a game of wits, in the end.

"You're sure… And what of the enemy's Geass?" C.C. was in awe, but also glad for her partner's renewed determination.

"Let's narrow down what it does, and if we're wrong, well we're no worse off than where we started."

There was the Zero she knew…

vVvVv

Formidable tactics — one after the other until he'd managed to narrow down the variables. It was a coin-toss, he told her. Princess Shamna's Geass was one or the other, and though neither of them liked it, it was all they had. They succeeded at infiltrating her temple, and he found her unconscious inside a containment shell. How convenient.

It was just a matter of waiting for her to wake up…

And when she finally did, it was to the sight of her personal guard strewn across the floor like ragged dolls, a gaping hole on the opposite wall with debris all around, and an imposing Knightmare frame lying in wait with the Warlock and his Witch ready to confront her and talk circles around her until they figured it out.

It had been a tad long time since he was in the presence of royalty once again. It seems entitlement was a universal trait among those who thought themselves better than the rest. Her end goals for using Nunnally said as much as she gave him her reasons and tried to tempt him with a fresh slate.

"Tell me, Lelouch. Is there nothing in your own past that you would change? Imagine what you could alter with an _infinite_ number of new beginnings. _You could restore your legacy_ , you could shed the venomous name vested upon you and _join me_."

"You would deny me my pain? Why would I shed the greater part of who I am? _My past_ is the crucible in which _I was forged_. My scars are a testament."

"Undoubtedly, but don't you wish for a better future?"

"Of course I do, but it doesn't belong to me. _It belongs to everyone_. You and I would both do well to remember that."

His words had gotten to her, if the way she gripped her regal staff was any indication. She called him a fool. But who was the true fool between the two of them, really? From someone who'd conquered the world and united mankind against him to bring peace, he would certainly know.

Her path led nowhere. It was just another oppressive Holy Britannian Empire in the making, and this world was scarred enough underneath the weight of tyranny. People deserved to make their own choices, to decided on their own leaders and choose their protectors. For their sake, he couldn't let her dreams be realized.

The ruler worthy of the title would turn from it…

These senseless disputes, Shamna and her brother were far from being worthy — according to the terms and the standards he and his world order had set.

From the confines of the Gekkoei cockpit, C.C. watched their exchange with admiration in her eyes. Lelouch had well and truly returned. And just like that (after a brief roller coaster of emotions, failed schemes, and careful maneuvering), Zilkhistan is defeated and Nunnally is retrieved. If they truly knew him — knew Lelouch vi Britannia and all his ways, even they would have admitted that he was a worthy ruler. The fact that he refused the opportunity to do so because of this world's wishes just made him all the more admirable.

And he wouldn't kill Shamna. Merely render her unconscious.

"You shall sleep forevermore."

Afterward, it was just a matter of getting Nunnally out of the ridiculous containment they'd put her in.

_How dare they?_

Steam wafted through the open doors, and as if she were no more than a doll, her unconscious form gave into gravity and toppled face-forward. She would have sustained injuries of other sort of too if her brother hadn't been there to break her fall. Landing in his arms, she looked as gaunt and distressed as he'd feared.

"Nunnally, what have they done to you?"

She was one of the biggest catalysts for his grand decisions, his one and only solace before northern lights materialized in his dark skies. His only family after being abandoned and left for dead in some foreign country. His precious little sister, and they have used her cruelly and unjustly after he'd worked so hard to give her a world that wouldn't treat her like this.

"Nunnally…"

C.C. stood behind him, clutching his cape close as she watched their feeble reunion. It took seconds of him trying to rouse his sister, before it dawned on her what was really happening.

"Do you suppose her mind is stuck in C's World?"

His back stiffened and his grip on his sister tightened subconsciously. The gateway under the prison was too far and it was— "But the gateway beneath the prison has been destroyed."

She bit her lip, not liking this situation one bit because of all the risks it posed, but… "We have no choice then. We have to use the one Shamna built."

vVvVv

Ever since C.C., Jeremiah, and the rest of the rescue team had left, the house had been noticeably quiet. Only Alexander's excited babbles injected life into it. Well into the afternoon, Anya had succeeded at keeping him busy with toys while she brushed him up on his book-reading, and attended to his nap times and meal times.

"Alexander, it's time for bed." Anya sighed exasperatedly.

The two-year old was distracted with something else, though. She was no mind-reader, but she had her own suspicions about what his worries could be. He was normally easy to tuck into bed, but he was being extra difficult this time around, silently refusing her advice in his own way by playing with his toys instead of heeding her instruction. And when she'd tried to put them away, he'd bawled with a defiant 'No!'

"Mr. Tusks can't sleep without you." Anya tried again, emphasizing her point as she made his favorite elephant's tusks and trunk droop, miming sadness.

Lelouch and C.C.'s son just blinked at her and shook his head stubbornly, crawling across C.C.'s bed, clumsily pushing pillows and blankets aside as if he was looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" She asked gently, tossing the plushy aside.

"Mu-mu…" Alexander pouted and looked devastatingly disappointed. "Pa-pa."

"Alexander, they're not here tonight," She gently explained. "The two of them and Jeremiah — along with the others, are busy rescuing your Aunt Nunnally."

"Nu- Nu…"

"Nu. Na. Lee." Anya smoothed his hair fondly as she smiled down at his crawling form.

"Na-lee!" He squealed as he clapped his hands, delivering a smile from Anya too.

He kept babbling as he sat in bed and played with his toes while staring at a cloudy night sky beyond the bedroom window. With the stars obscured from sight, there were no twinkling gems to look up on, but Anya knew the tot wasn't staring outside for the shapes and the non-existent scenery. Just like most nights for the past year in the orange farm, Alexander was once again left to wonder where every important person was — but especially his mother. And now, his father as well.

She couldn't blame him. He could hardly understand the meaning of a rescue mission. He knew his parents left earlier today, but he was probably wondering why they hadn't returned yet.

"It's time for sleep, Alexander." She whispered, depositing him on her lap where she slowly rocked back and forth and stroked his hair. He played with her blouse, crinkling the fabric in his little fists. "When you wake up in the morning, Lelouch and C.C. will be back with you."

He blinked up at her innocently and mumbled, "Na-kul Je-wee." He yawned as he kept mumbling, "Zaku… Ka-len. Cow-nee-lee."

She smiled and nodded as his eyelids drooped and as he drifted off to sleep, still muttering names he'd learned, and some of them, Anya could barely decipher thanks to his adorably skewed way of pronouncing them. She still made promises to the little Prince, though.

His Uncle Jerry, Suzaku, Kallen, Cornelia, and every other participant in this rescue mission for Nunnally.

They would come back in one piece with the addition of a new family member to Alexander's life.

They had to.

vVvVv

She couldn't remember the last time she'd been well and truly conscious. Her last vivid memory was stained with the taste of fear as several odd-looking Knightmare frames hemmed their group in from every side, guns pointed at her aides, and Zero — no, _Suzaku_ — taken prisoner. The next set of memories tread between waking and slumbering.

Dreams of a life she'd lived, flashes of greenery and the blue lakes under sunny skies at the old Villa, the smells and sensations she associated with her old home at Ashford Academy and the Kururugi Shrine, her quarters in the estate she now lived in — opulent but empty of her brother's warmth and companionship.

Her brother… _Gods_ , she'd seen her brother. He came for her, materializing from the hazy fog like some Prince from a fairytale, coming to her rescue when she needed him.

He talked of sacrificing himself once more in that unknown world of muted colors and twisting consciousness, didn't he? He shouldn't have to! He really shouldn't feel obligated to give his life for hers again, not after the sacrifices he'd made, and not when she still had so much to say.

Nunnally blearily blinked at the gray metal ceiling above her head, and silently took note of the motion beneath her. She was moving… No, she was being transported. But by who and to _where_?

She'd seen her brother. But for all she knew, it could have been a subconscious dream. So… Was he alive in the flesh or still in the grave?

She answered her own uncertain questions nonetheless when she turned her head to the side and beheld Lelouch vi Britannia's unconscious form laid atop a cot that was twin to the one she was resting in.

Unbidden tears gathered in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks as she tried to sit up but still felt too weak.

"Lelouch…" She called for him piteously, whimpering like a little baby pining for a mother, but Nunnally _didn't care_. Because her brother was _there_ , and he was breathing.

And… And they weren't alone.

She'd just realized.

A green-haired woman sat beside her brother's cot, Zero's newly embellished cape strewn across her lap. Concerned bullion eyes wandered to her supine form just as another familiar voice entered the fray and uttered her name with so much relief, it was almost enough to send her into another crying fest again.

"It's good to have you back with us, Nunnally."

Suzaku… She was really safe, wasn't she?

The friendly tanned face of her brother's best friend came into view as he knelt beside her cot, and gently supported her as she tried to sit. Green eyes shone with happiness, and the smile she hadn't seen for what felt like forever beamed at her — a reassurance and a testament to the reality that they were alive, and she was safe at last.

"Suzaku, is Lelouch—"

"He's alive, Nunnally. Just unconscious." Suzaku nodded, keeping her hand in his with a firm yet gentle grip as one of his arms steadied her sitting form.

To see each and every one of their faces not covered by literal (and figurative) masks were comforting. At least, in this little pocket of time they had during land travel, she could see each and every one of them unguarded. The only thing missing now was Lelouch's rise to consciousness. But for now, Nunnally was content with the knowledge that her brother was alive.

Somehow, and through some odd ways. For she was sure he had died. She still dreamed of his blood on her hands, the red left unseen imprints on her skin long after the color washed away.

"Suzaku, I— I'm confused. How—"

"Take it easy, Nunnally." Suzaku hurriedly steadied her when she tried to swing her numb legs from underneath the covers. "I'm sure you've got lots of questions, but you need something for your stomach first, so I'll just—"

Nunnally held on to his hand as he meant to stand, and they both swayed unsteadily when the vehicle humming underneath them lurched to a stop. For a moment, panic rose in her gut, but then she remembered they were traveling with allies now. Not enemies.

"We've stopped…" Suzaku trailed off, wandering away from Nunnally's cot and to the sliding doors that kept the giant metal crate on their cargo truck closed.

"For gas or provisions, I assume."

Her familiar voice struck a cord in Nunnally's memory. For it was _the_ voice she associated with her brother's strange companion that she never got to truly know or intimately understand — C.C., she called herself. Nunnally knew she should have spoken to the strange woman sooner (from the moment she caught a glimpse of her sitting next to her brother's cot), but what could she say, really, when Nunnally herself was so entrenched in confusion? She was still trying to process her surroundings and the presence of familiar companions.

"That's good." Suzaku, oblivious to the questions brewing inside Nunnally's head, rose to his feet after unlatching the locks that held the crate together.

He pushed one heavy metal door aside so there was a space just big enough for him to fit through. Streaks of early morning light crept across the metal flooring, and for the first time, Nunnally saw the true state of where they were being kept. There were several duffel bags on the far corner of the room, and one of them was still open — a Knightmare pilot's suit spilling from the parted fly. Probably Suzaku's considering C.C. was still _dressed_ in a pilot uniform.

"I was going to page Jeremiah to stop at the nearest outpost anyway." Suzaku muttered as he dug around in one of the bags to pull out a plain coin purse. "I'll be back, Nunnally." He told her before turning to the quiet woman with them. "Do you need anything, C.C.?"

The mysterious woman shook her head 'no,' and with wave and a smile, Suzaku left, leaving the crate door partially open — just enough to welcome slivers of sunrise. It was quiet inside as Nunnally contented herself with staring at C.C., while the latter continued to watch over Lelouch — like some guardian. Nunnally faintly heard the sound of Kallen's and Jeremiah's voices joining with Suzaku's, but it quickly drifted away as the trio wandered further, and into the gas station convenience store, probably.

Left alone with C.C., Nunnally couldn't stop herself from looking upon the woman's face.

She'd heard descriptions of C.C. She'd heard the strange woman's voice, felt her brief and light touches in the past. She visited Lelouch frequently, and Nunnally had always assumed the two were _very_ good friends because of it. Or at least, it's what her brother had led her to believe. It was what she was _allowed_ to believe, because the truth was apparently far too strange and dangerous for her.

And now here they were…

"C.C…" She called, hating herself for her voice that sounded so feeble and quivered slightly underneath the weight of hesitation. "This is the first time I've seen your face."

Tense seconds followed. Four then five, until the woman in question finally acknowledged her neutral greeting by lifting her head and looking straight at her. C.C. had enthralling golden irises, eyes that appeared to catch what little light there was. She had a pretty face — a different sort of aesthetic compared to Shirley's. If this was the face that led her brother astray from the right path, it was hard to fault him for it, if you judged by appearances alone. A lesser judge might be quick to forgive, because, for some, it was difficult to condemn people with such august countenance.

And C.C. had exactly that…

Hers was physical beauty that didn't quite belong with the rest of the world. She possessed a voice as soft as the spring breeze, and touch as light as a sprite's.

And here and now, Nunnally finally acknowledged that she felt torn. Torn between being grateful to the woman who'd been with Lelouch since the start, and being hateful towards the Witch that led him to his sins — to the deeper bowels of hell.

"Strangely enough, I never got to see you after my sight was restored. You were with my brother the whole time, weren't you? From his… rebellion and to the end of his reign?"

Her desperate questions were met with a wall of silence as the woman's grasp on Zero's cape tightened even further.

"C.C., why did you let him do the things he did?" Nunnally's throat tightened, past pains reopening like fresh wounds in the presence of the woman who'd started it all.

C.C.'s silence was almost _too much to bear_. Why wasn't she answering?

Didn't Nunnally deserve answers to her questions? Didn't she _deserve_ to understand and fill in the gaps that were left unanswered?

This mysterious woman owed her this much, at least, after everything that happened, and after what her brother went through.

"C.C., please… Did you ever help him? Comfort him? Or did you stand aside and watch him destroy himself with his Geass?"


	10. The Simplest Desires

" _C.C., please… Did you ever help him? Comfort him? Or did you stand aside and watch him destroy himself with his Geass?"_

Frozen in place, Nunnally stared with bated breath as C.C. carefully laid Zero's cape next to Lelouch's legs. She approached the cot Nunnally occupied, and claimed the seat Suzaku had abandoned in favor of fetching Nunnally some food. Sitting down, the immortal woman did her best to ignore the way Nunnally assessed her — if only to stop herself from faltering.

"I asked your brother once, why he sought power, and why he didn't hesitate the offer of having a Geass. It started from a simple wish — a _desire_ to see you happy. He wanted the world that _you_ wanted too — a brighter future for the both of you. And to think, that changes of this magnitude had come from a small seed — a simple wish for happiness. But words are wind, and wishes change — some for the better, some for the worst. When it all went wrong, and when everything your brother believed in turned out to be a lie, the wish had morphed. He still wanted _you_ to be happy, that was constant. You were his light. But he realized that the happy ending he wanted for the both of you didn't just belong to the two of you and the two of you alone. This desire for a better future belonged to everyone."

So Nunnally listened, as the Witch told her of how a betrayed and weary Prince decided he would take matters into his own hands — even further than necessary, and give humanity what it longed for. The world needed peace and a better future, and there was nothing quite like a common enemy to successfully unite divided nations and war-weary peoples. Nunnally understood as much when she'd held her brother's bloody hand that fateful day.

But to hear C.C. tell of her brother's sacrifices, his grief, his sorrows, and his regrets as he laid down his life.

 _Oh gods_ … How could such a tiny wish morph into an ambition of god-like proportions?

Nevertheless, it was all the more reason to admire him. But C.C. still had not answered her last question. If she were to draw conclusions from the story she'd been given, a close look between the lines pointed to a definitive, 'Yes'. C.C. did nothing to stop Lelouch from destroying himself for everyone else's sake.

"And what of you?"

"Me…"

"In exchange for a power like Geass, what did you ask of him?" She asked, filling the insides of her hands with the thin blanket they'd draped over her.

"Many and more…"

Nunnally bit her lip, detesting the next words that would come out of her mouth. "You were using him."

"… Yes."

"Then why did you bring him back? Does he still owe you something? Was his suffering not payment enough?"

She was hesitating. For some odd reason, C.C. was making an effort to stay her tongue, and Nunnally would have _none of it_. Ignoring decorum in favor of seeking the truth, her fingers closed around C.C.'s, and she found the immortal's grasp slack but it twitched and quivered the tiniest bit. Others would have shrugged that off, but it was a telling sign for Nunnally. She, who had relied on the sensitivity of her other senses for so long to understand the world around her.

"C.C., _please_." She beseeched in a quiet voice. "Please don't lie to me."

At the very least, C.C. didn't pry her hands away from the younger woman's. And to see her being so assertive and hungry for the bald truth made C.C. smile. A girl no longer, this young lady was. Her brother would be proud.

"I didn't bring him back to life for my sake." She said at last in that quiet manner of hers. "He deserves to be with all of you. I'm simply trying to return what Fate and his sacrifice tried to steal."

And unbeknownst to Nunnally, all C.C. wanted was to fulfill her Emperor's secret wish…

"Just as Lelouch has always been there for me, you've always been there for _him_ , haven't you, C.C.?" Through this harrowing journey of more losses than gains.

The beginnings of a small yet understanding smile tugged at the corners of Nunnally's lips, as her grip became firmer, and they both unintentionally looked to the unconscious form of Lelouch lying quietly just a few feet away.

"I did what I could." C.C. said at last. "It was never a matter of stopping him from dying or hurting himself. He just wanted his wishes granted, even if it mean giving up everything he had." Everything he was. From his face to his name, to his entire life.

So C.C. helped him achieve what he wanted. Even if her own choices and the weight of her decisions tore into her with the force of vivid nightmares ever since his death. She could never express it properly to Nunnally (that determination to aid Lelouch in his final quest after he'd returned to her the will to live), but C.C. had a feeling she didn't need to.

The girl was as perceptive as her brother, after all. Maybe even more so in some ways.

"Thank you then…" Nunnally said sincerely, brushing her fingers along the gold trim of C.C.'s piloting suit. "For doing what you could."

For being there for him when none of them were…

Nunnally wanted to say more, but stopped herself when three familiar faces appeared at the narrow space Suzaku made earlier. It was wider now, and let in more light. The sun even shone directly on Lelouch's face, but her brother still didn't move. Instead, she was greeted with warm smiles and genuine well-wishes from Jeremiah and Suzaku. Kallen immediately rushed to C.C.'s side to ask about how Nunnally was feeling, while the two men followed not far behind with food and some hot refreshments.

"It is good to find you well, my Lady." Jeremiah professed reverently as he gently pressed a steaming styrofoam cup between Nunnally's hands.

To this, she thanked them heartily, and finally asked, "Where are we headed?"

"For the border town…" Kallen smiled, brushing stray locks of damp hair from Nunnally's shoulders and neck.

"It's where Cornelia stationed her forces, and it's the only area secluded enough to hide Lelouch." Suzaku added, nodding at their friend's unconscious form.

vVvVv

Their chosen hideout was a sleepy little town. Nunnally made quick note of the surrounding area.

Ohgi and Tamaki disembarked from the armored van behind their cargo truck. Kallen and C.C. immediately approached them to ask for assistance with transporting Lelouch and the cot back into the house. Suzaku and Jeremiah tended to her, with the latter leading the way inside the shelter while Suzaku carried her on his back.

On the rest of their way back, she had inquired about their other allies, and Suzaku had been generous with providing adequate information. Cornelia (along with Guilford and her other men) had stayed at the capital to deal with politics and to speak to Chief of Staff Schneizel — to maintain the ruse that Cornelia led the rescue operation instead of Lelouch. Sayoko was still probably be with Nina, Dr. Lloyd, and Ms. Cecile — considering Cecile needed immediate medical attention.

The rest of them left the battleground under the guise of regrouping back at the border town, and spiriting the Honorary Consultant to safety.

Nunnally was more than used to taking care of herself as best as she could at this point. (Having eyesight was a _massive_ benefit). But she was glad for the assistance Suzaku and Jeremiah provided anyway. The latter had procured a fresh change of clothes for her and retrieved her wheelchair, while Suzaku made sure everything in her room's bathroom was all set for her convenience.

And again, Nunnally thanked them both for their help before locking the door when they left.

Freshening up and preparing for her vigil was quick and efficient, and soon she was navigating herself out of the bedroom and into the main hall, where all manner of chairs and two dining room tables were pushed to the side to make room for the cot that still carried her brother.

As she had expected, C.C. was there again. She'd just risen to her feet and was about to leave. Was it to give Nunnally space?

"He's taking so long." Nunnally lamented, focusing on the way his chest rose and fell with every breath. At _least he was breathing_.

"Let's hope the wait won't last longer than today." C.C. calmly told her, though the concern in her eyes was only all too obvious.

"Won't you wait for him to wake up?"

C.C. simply smiled. "He'll want to see you first. Not me."

Besides, C.C. had _someone else_ of equal importance to check-up on.

"C.C., I'm sorry." Nunnally's face was one of contrition as she clasped her hands above her lap. "Forgive me for presuming to know your thoughts and your motives, I just—"

"Your own affection for your brother is only matched by his devotion to you. I can't say I'm overly surprised." The immortal woman's lips were drawn up into an amused but kind smile — a gesture that Nunnally took great comfort in.

"I said it once, and I'll say it again. Thank you for being there for him, when no one else would."

"Until he awakes, don't thank me just yet." Nunnally had nothing else to say to that, and she kept an eye on C.C.'s retreating back. The immortal woman whirled around all of a sudden, facing Nunnally once more as she said, "Through it all, there _is_ one truth he's never wavered at. He has, he still, and he will always love you, Nunnally."

Alone once more with her brother's unconscious body, Nunnally thought back to hers and C.C.'s tense conversation inside the cargo truck. Her brother's complex characteristics and his values… Somehow she'd always had that feeling that it was going to land him into big trouble one day.

But did it really have to come at the cost of his life?

Well… For the world and for the sake of a better future, it had to.

C.C. _clearly_ didn't tell her every minuscule detail, but she wasn't an idiot, and she could fill in some of the blanks. And when Lelouch would rejoin them, perhaps _he_ could to. But it was clear to her now that though C.C. stood aside and didn't stop him from making his grand plots, she obviously did so to accommodate Lelouch's wishes and make his dreams a reality.

She probably stayed with him in compensation and when no one else would, didn't she?

When his supposedly loyal followers, his friends, and even she, Nunnally herself (shamefully), had assumed the worst of the man who'd created Zero's mask, C.C. hadn't. And through her own mysterious ways, understood her brother unlike the rest of them.

"Oh, C.C…"

vVvVv

Jeremiah was already inside the room when C.C. entered herself — after she'd changed out of her pilot suit and into customary Zilkhistani clothes in the house's common bathroom. She smiled at her baby's godfather who acknowledged her with a simple nod. And understanding that she wanted time alone with her son, Jeremiah called for Anya who obediently rushed to her guardian after C.C. thanked them both again — to Jeremiah for assisting Lelouch, and to Anya for caring for Alexander once more.

Only roughly 20 minutes after sunrise. No wonder he was still asleep…

She knew they had only been separated for a night, but she'd missed him already. Perhaps it would appear silly to some, but it made perfect sense to C.C. It was natural for a doting mother to miss her baby.

He was sleeping in that funny position again, with his arms and legs outstretched. Beloved Mr. Tusks was abandoned far away from him, while the rest of his toys were in a special bag on the end-table.

Silently thanking the heavens for keeping her son out of harm's way, C.C. merely contented herself with a gentle kiss on one of his chubby cheeks. She ought to prepare his breakfast. He would be asking for a meal soon enough when he roused from slumber.

vVvVv

Lost in sleep and his mind still wandering, Nunnally wondered what her brother was currently in the middle of. Was he having conversations with some supernatural being? Or was he simply bearing witness to some grand cosmic event? Whatever it was, she hoped he would hurry back to them soon, remembering that he had friends and family who wished to see him — not lose him in the see of nothingness that had been her prison for what felt like forever.

She'd missed him so much, and not a day passed ever since his fateful death where she didn't curse herself for losing faith in him, and then striving to serve the new world he'd created from his blood and suffering, so she wouldn't defile his legacy — a legacy that was supposed to last for a lifetime.

" _I destroy the world, and create it anew…"_

His last words to her before he released his grip on precious life. What she told him back then was true… All she needed to be happy was to be with him, and now she lived her life looking forward to each day, working to be better. Because her honorable big brother was always watching.

Wherever he was, he was watching her… It was the belief she'd clung to with each trying day. It was hard, but one step at a time, grief turned to joy — until she could display the beautiful smile her brother always wanted to see.

And now he was here, and that joy was about to multiply a hundred-fold…

She was reaching for his hand to feel some reassurance in the pulse that beat within him, when those eyes snapped open, and indigo finally gazed into violet.

She'd forgotten how striking those purple irises were…

"Oh, thank goodness! You're back!"

Lelouch groaned and began to sit up slowly, mindful of his strange headache and the fact that he wasn't in C's World any longer. Quick glimpses outside the window and the surrounding furniture pointed to the fact that he was now far away from the capital, brought here by his friends to await for his rise to consciousness.

And right _there_ , staring at him as if she was witnessing a poignant revival of the dead was his beloved sister, healthy and well, and looking significantly worried.

"How do you feel, big brother?" Nunnally asked.

"Alive and well. It's wonderful to see you again, Nunnally." He managed to say, running a hand through his hair as he looked around the room, silently wondering where his green-haired Witch was.

"Lelouch…" Nunnally trailed off, lowering her eyes to the floor and to the hands she placed back on top of her lap.

Lelouch watched as Nunnally wilted like a flower underneath the weight of whatever was burdening her.

"Yeah?" A characteristic warm smile spread across his face as he looked upon her, years and years of familial affection shining through his expression.

"I— I've wanted to tell you this for a long time… I… I assumed the worst of you, and that was wrong of me. You deserve better, so _I'm sorry_. I should have had more faith in you, after everything you've done for me all those times — after raising me, I—"

"It's in the past, Nunnally. All is forgiven."

Fueled by her own conviction, she grabbed his hand, holding it tightly between her own. "C.C. told me you did it all for me in the beginning. A simple wish to see your sister happy. But then she said you realized that a better future doesn't just belong to you or me. That it belonged to everyone."

_Nunnally and C.C. had spoken?_

"Indeed it does…" Lelouch agreed with a simple nod, shelving the unknown conversation between C.C. and his sister for further pondering later.

"Please, Lelouch… I'm just as guilty as you." Nunnally pleaded, clasping his hand firmly as she leaned so far out of her wheelchair, he feared she would fall off her seat. "It wasn't right for you to bear the burden by yourself, and it never was! So _please let me share it with you_. We'll work together to create a better world for _everyone_."

"That's very kind, Nunnally. Thank you… But… But the world is not mine to change any longer. From the moment I turned my back on existing. I've come back only to save you and Suzaku, but after that…" He trailed off, and it was the most ominous thing Nunnally could have every imagined. Lelouch studied his little sister's hopeful gaze carefully before he said his next words. "I believe I've left the world in rather capable hands. You've grown so much, Nunnally. A very capable young woman."

Lelouch sounded like he was leading her to a point in a conversation, but _what was it?_ Swallowing her trepidation, she distracted herself with tracing the lines of his palm as she asked,

"Will you stay?"

vVvVv

"Mu-mu…" Alexander mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he blinked blearily at his mother's face.

"Good morning, Love." C.C.'s smile was bright with happiness and tender with affection as she smoothed her baby's hair and took pleasure in the way his violet eyes glimmered in the meager light.

"Mu-mu back?" He sat up in bed, rocking back and forth with his fingers gripping his toes as he stared up at C.C.

She nodded before playfully — but gently — pinching his chubby cheek. "Do you want to eat?"

"Chee-pie." Alexander grinned and clapped at the mention of his new favorite food. C.C. inwardly figured she'd have to find a way for cheese beorek to be available to Alexander in the future, because it looked like a new and favorite pie was added to the list.

"Yes, you shall have cheese pies if that's your desire." Leaving the bed, C.C. carefully took him into her arms, and peppered kisses along the side of his face and his cheek. "But first, a bath, hm?"

"Pa-pa?"

C.C. stopped short of unraveling the towel and other baby bath supplies at the mention of her son's father. Barely two days, and Alexander was already quite fond of the latest addition to his life, not like he wasn't before. She could still remember a one-year-old Alexander trying to get Lelouch's shell's attention. Confusion had been so apparent in Alexander's face then, wondering why the man (whom his mother introduced as his Papa) didn't respond actively — just stared at the baby and responded on instinct to the cries, the gurgles, and the laughs.

Now things were different again, and whether it was for the better, was something they had yet to see.

"Papa's… " She trailed off hesitantly. She didn't know if Lelouch had awoken. She'd left him with Nunnally. Her pause made Alexander prod her face curiously. "Papa's outside. We'll see him later."

"Whoooaa~"

Distracted from her preparations for the second time this morning, C.C. whirled around to know what caught Alexander's attention and what prompted a fascinated sound from the toddler, only to stop short when she'd caught the view outside the window — the very same window Alexander was staring through with wide and amazed eyes.

"Stars!" Came the excited squeal, followed by clapping as he squirmed in C.C.'s arms and pointed at the glittering gems falling from the sky.

There was one, then two, then what looked to be a hundred, until the skies were growing fuller — populated by millions of the glittering things, pouring into the Earth. A magnificent shower of twinkling diamonds. It wasn't ordinary. Though she had no TV or any source of outside information in the room, she had the creeping suspicion that this wasn't a one-location occurrence. It was probably happening worldwide.

They covered the skies so much, and they rained heavily on the world's inhabitants. Not stars falling from the heavens, and not meteor showers either.

After her conversation with Shamna, and having left C's World, these must be—

"Geass fragments…"

vVvVv

" _Will you stay?"_

 _Could_ he stay? And _would he_ , if he had the choice?

"Heavens know I want to… But I can't." Lelouch shook his head sadly and slowly, never tearing his hands away from Nunnally's either, especially when her expression fell, and he began to explain. "I don't belong with the living. I'm a relic of the other world. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow, or if I'll disappear tonight or twenty years from now."

It was just as he'd told Suzaku the night before. He was a ghost, and he could vanish, because he didn't know the intricacies of the world they lived in, and he _certainly_ was no expert on the rules that governed C's world. His existence was now as unstable as a house built on sand.

But then, wasn't that all the more reason to stay and be with all of them — spend whatever time he had left with his friends until he disappeared? One might even say this was a divine being's doing, granting him one last mercy before he would eternally vanish.

"If you're worried about being a liability— You'll _never be a burden_ to me or to any of us, Lelouch. I hope you don't think of yourself that way."

"It's not that, Nunnally." Lelouch smiled at her patiently. "If I stay and continue to be with all of you, I'll just be in your way. I'll have to find my own path once more. I now exist in a different plane from the rest." He was no longer tethered to this world as he once was. "I appreciate you saying that I'm not a burden, but _I am_. As time goes by, _I will be_. As long as the world remembers what I've done — as long as the memory of the Demon Emperor is burned in everyone's minds, being with all of you jeopardizes your very lives and the credibility of what I've worked so hard to leave behind. Do you understand? The risks are too great."

The magnitude of his words hit her like a truck. A better future not for the two of them any longer, but for the world. All at once, she realized what he was telling her, and what he was implying as well — what he was _trying_ to make her understand.

' _If you want to share in my burden, and if you also want a better world for the sake of everyone, just like I do. Then it's time for change and to let go.'_

But even so—

"Besides," Lelouch continued, smirking in that roguish way that subtly hinted that he was planning to circumvent some rules once in a while, "—it's not like I'll be dead to you. I'll visit once in a while. I can never keep myself away from you forever, Nunnally. I'll still be connected to the rest of you, just not living _with you_."

As understanding dawned and the path became clearer, she smiled kindly. He told her she had become a capable young woman, and that he was proud. But Nunnally also wanted to say that her brother who sat before her was a boy no longer, but a man. She didn't think she'd ever understand the distinction when she was but a teenager wrapped up in the life she lived with her only family member. But now she did…

Did it make her heart ache and tug at some strings? Of course, it did. But she also understood now.

"What will you do? Where will you go?"

"I'll spend whatever time I have left with a new purpose — another responsibility." He declared resolutely. "Not as grand as the one I've done before, but no less important, perhaps even more so in some respects."

 _What was he hinting at_ this _time?_

"A new purpose…" Nunnally was confused. "What are you—"

"He's finally awake!"

The siblings were startled out of their own little world by Kallen's sudden reappearance at the doorway. She was grinning, having noticed Lelouch sitting up and speaking to Nunnally, although she was plainly oblivious to their conversation. Not a moment later, Suzaku also appeared, dressed in casual jeans and a simple blue hoodie with the symbol of the Black Knights stitched into the fabric. Lelouch was amused at that, because _oh the irony_ of Suzaku wearing _anything_ with a logo of the Black Knights!

"Perfect timing…" The brunet smiled at them both. "You should come see this."

As Suzaku set to work on pushing Nunnally's wheelchair out of the common hall, Lelouch stepped out of the house like a man in a trance as he beheld twinkling gemstones falling from a lightening sky. With every turn of his head, it was all that could be seen in the skies above. It was almost like a cloak. Just the _sheer_ amount of them falling to the Earth like that.

He idly wondered where they landed…

"This is breathtaking."

There he stood with Suzaku, Nunnally, and Kallen and the rest of Cornelia's soldiers — with Ohgi and Tamaki. All just as mesmerized with the sight as Lelouch was, wondering _what on earth_ could cause a massive star shower like that? He was still thinking about it when he felt Nunnally's smaller hand slide into his own, catching his attention.

"Lelouch, you were saying about your purpose." His sister began quietly, staring up at him with curiosity still in her eyes. "What did you mean? Will you be with C.C.?"

The last question caught him off guard a little bit. And for a moment, Lelouch tore his gaze away from the magnificent display in the sky, and to his sister who looked at him expectantly for his answer.

Eventually, he said, "That's for her to decide if she wants to."

Nunnally's brows drew together into a small frown. "But _you_ want to."

Lelouch sighed, and stared into the distance, at the shadow of the hills beyond and the 'stars' that fell on them. "C.C. was never part of this world from the moment she acquired immortality. I daresay she's the only person I'm allowed to live with after C's World forcefully spit me out."

He chuckled drily, trying to ignore the way his heart fluttered at the possibility of having his feelings rejected. He and C.C. never got to finish their conversation the other night, didn't they?

But while Lelouch was busy ruminating over that, a different realization dawned on Nunnally and she gawked at her brother some more as she whispered, "You love her…"

"And if I do?"

Well, _that_ settled it. Why give her an ambiguous answer? It was as good as saying 'yes.' For a man who had his new purpose in life apparently figured out, it confused Nunnally why her brother wasn't openly admitting it. Unless, of course, C.C. wasn't aware of his _true_ feelings.

"Have you told her?" Nunnally pressed, and when she didn't receive an answer, she resisted the urge to swat her brother to his senses, because— "You _haven't_?"

For a moment, it felt like they returned to being teenagers as Lelouch narrowed his eyes at her and pouted petulantly at her incredulous questions.

"She deserves to know, don't you think?" Nunnally smiled up at him encouragingly.

"I'm just…" Lelouch trailed off, glancing at Kallen and Suzaku talking a few feet away from them. "What if I tell her and she doesn't return my feelings?"

 _Again_ , for a man who looked like he had everything figured out, _that_ hesitation sounded a bit too juvenile for her brother. How _cute_ …

"You won't know until you ask her, Lelouch."

Nunnally nodded resolutely when Lelouch gave her the look that said, 'I can't believe you're talking to me about this.' Well, _she_ couldn't believe he hadn't fessed up to his feelings _yet_. And from what she observed from C.C.'s actions around her brother, Nunnally knew the man before her had little to worry about when it came to unrequited love.

She wasn't dense _or blind_ any longer.

Nunnally saw the way C.C. watched over Lelouch back there — couldn't, and _wouldn't_ , take her eyes off of him until she had to. And the way she spoke of him. Such quiet admiration there, and when she, Nunnally, had managed to look past her residual anger, discerned devotion embedded in C.C.'s actions.

"She was always with you, wasn't she?"

"From the very beginning."

From the start of that suffering-laden journey. Though they'd both had unsavory starts, he grew to love and understand her just as she. Soon, the indifference and resentment morphed into understanding until he began to uncover parts of C.C. he'd never thought he'd unearth. An unsavory beginning reborn into a bond built on mutual respect, trust, and self-sacrifice.

"Tell her, and go to her, big brother. What do you have to lose?"

Lelouch considered Nunnally's question. What about the presence of his son in his life? But he didn't tell Nunnally that yet…

"Where _is_ C.C., anyway?"

He was suddenly reminded of her absence, and Lelouch turned away from the rapidly disappearing view to look at the house that had kept them safe for the duration of their stay in Zilkhistan. The house that now hid his son and the woman he loved. Somehow, he _knew_ they were watching the falling stars too — from the secret of that little bedroom.

"She's probably with someone…" He said at last.

"With someone?"

Smiling, he knelt before his sister's chair and looked at her intently, as he said, "Nunnally, there's someone special I'd love for you to meet."


	11. The Last Sacrifice

Nunnally wasn't entirely sure of what her brother meant when he told her that he had someone special that he would love for her to meet… Was it another one of his friends? A secret ally? Lelouch alluded to this person after the two of them had spoken about C.C…

As the siblings slowly made their way back to the house, Suzaku and Kallen followed closely at their heels, sharing enthusiastic smiles after Lelouch told them that Nunnally was going to meet someone special, adding to Nunnally's confusion some more.

_What was this giant secret that everyone was apparently in on?_

"Lelouch," she tipped her head backwards to stare at his upside down face. "Who is this person?"

Her brother's grin could have powered an entire city grid. "You'll see when you meet him."

 _A him_ …

Nunnally was busy running through the list of people her brother knew in Ashford, and if there were any males aside from Rivalz that Lelouch could have been close to. That _must_ be the case, considering this person was apparently with C.C., at the moment. Or perhaps this person wasn't _from_ Ashford, but a family member Nunnally hadn't met yet, for some reason — survived the Pendragon tragedy, perhaps. Gods knew _how many_ half-siblings they had.

"Is he family?" Nunnally found herself saying, unable to contain her curiosity for this mystery person.

This time, she caught not just her brother's smile, but Kallen's and Suzaku's as well.

"Undoubtedly…"

The first thing Nunnally noticed after re-entering the house was that the cot Lelouch had used was now folded and set neatly aside. Anya was sitting in one of the wooden couches, thumbing through her smartphone for media files Nunnally didn't know. The two exchanged smiles in greeting.

"In the kitchen…" Anya jerked her head in the direction when her brother had inquired on C.C.'s whereabouts.

Jeremiah was the first person she saw as he stood at the sink attending to dirty cooking utensils and baking equipment. And just beyond him, sitting at the circular kitchen island was none other than C.C. with her hair tied back into braids, and beside her, eating what looked like cheese sandwiches pinched between tiny fingers, was a toddler with a head of darkest ebony, and purple eyes staring at their little group.

Nunnally gasped quietly and pursed her lips, stammering a few pronouns and trying to form a coherent sentence that wouldn't make her look like a bumbling idiot. Because what sister wouldn't sit there, shocked out of her mind, as she sat face-to-face with a toddler who possessed her brother's notable features?

Did her brother— Was this really—

"Pa-pa!" The toddler bounced within the confines of the high chair, unintentionally squishing the remaining quarter of a cheese beorek as he beheld them at the archway, no doubt remembering some familiar faces and a new one: hers.

"I see you've made it back." C.C. said by way of greeting. "Good for you."

"Good to _be_ back." Lelouch smiled wider, his attention immediately zeroing in on the toddler. "Hello, Alexander."

"Pa-pa, let play!"

Nunnally's breath hitched as the toddler continued to cheer, and C.C. ever so gently pried the remaining piece of gooey food from his grasp, setting it back down on a plate, like this happened everyday.

 _Her brother…_ She gaped at him, taken totally aback.

He left her side and closed the last few meters separating him from C.C. and his… his child. C.C. had just about finished wiping Alexander's (that was his name, wasn't it?) face and hands with moist paper towels. The toddler shrieked happily as her brother lifted him out of the highchair and into his arms, asking if he 'missed Pa-pa' and receiving a shrieked 'Yea!' in response.

Lelouch had— "A son… You have a _baby?!_ "

Suzaku, who was digging in the refrigerator for something to eat snickered, Kallen giggled demurely behind a hand as she watched the scene from the archway, Jeremiah's smile threatened to split his face in two as he dried the last of the baking equipment, and C.C. was smirking at the siblings as Nunnally's quiet voice turned into a high-pitched squeak, climbing in volume and as Lelouch sheepishly ran a hand through his hair while Alexander turned to playing with Lelouch's white silk scarf and the wide collar of Zero's purple suit.

She had _so many questions_ bubbling to the surface, because _oh gods,_ her brother had a _baby_.

"Is C.C.—?"

"Yes." C.C. herself replied, knowing the question before Nunnally even formed the inquiry.

"How old is he?" Nunnally remained mesmerized as she watched them all interact.

Her brother glowed with pride as he gently stopped Alexander from unzipping Zero's overcoat. "How old are you, my Prince?"

"Em chu!" Alexander laid his short arm across Lelouch's shoulders, behind his neck as her brother beamed and told the boy he was 'very good' for knowing. The answer was rewarded with a kiss on the head, something Alexander seemed to like _very much_ , because he wiggled his legs and hugged Lelouch tighter.

Did Kallen and the others know from the very beginning? Because if Alexander, her _nephew_ (gods, she was an _aunt_ ), was born two years ago, that would probably put C.C.'s pregnancy during the last months of her brother's grand schemes.

Where was _he_ all this time? Had they been hiding him? Where had C.C. even _given birth_ to him where she wouldn't be harassed? It made sense to hide her nephew. After her older brother did such a good job of making the world _detest him_ , Alexander _simply had to_ stay hidden from everyone else's knowledge.

"Why didn't I see or hear him when we arrived? I would've—"

C.C. shook her head. "He was asleep."

Nunnally was still busy wrapping her head around the fact that C.C. and Lelouch had a _child_. First, her older brother's revival from the dead, and now _this_ … Well, this day was turning into an eventful one, wasn't it?

Her mouth forming a small 'o,' Nunnally's eyes widened even further as she stared at the trio, and at her brother blowing raspberries on Alexander's cheeks. She watched the boy call for 'Na-kul Zaku' and ask for playtime, shrieking gleefully when Suzaku tickled him with a few choice pokes on the tummy.

 _He_ , _Alexander_ , had been the 'new purpose' her brother was talking about.

" _I'll spend whatever time I have left with a new purpose — another responsibility. Not as grand as the one I've done before, but no less important, perhaps even more so in some respects."_

He was talking about _being a father_. And when Lelouch had expressed his fears about C.C. _not_ returning his feelings, _this_ was who he was worried about. When she'd asked him out there what he was so afraid of losing. Because if C.C. rejected her brother, or refused his presence in the life of their baby boy, he would never see his son again. Or at least, _that_ was how Nunnally interpreted it. _That_ , and it was clear that her brother loved C.C _and_ Alexander.

But wasn't it crystal clear _already?_

They have a baby! Weren't you _supposed_ to love each other _before_ having offspring?

(Oh, our _dear innocent_ Nunnally. She even flushed so grandly at what Lelouch and C.C. creating children implied).

"Say 'hello' to your Aunt Nunnally, Love." C.C. crooned, laying her head on her palm, watching the scene with motherly fondness shining through her face.

Her voice brought Nunnally out of her musings. Kallen smiled at her encouragingly, as did Suzaku. And then she faintly heard her nephew murmur 'Na-lee' as he heeded his mother's instruction and turned that little head this way and that, searching for the Aunt Nunnally his mother told him about. Packing away all her questions for later, Nunnally maneuvered her wheelchair forward as Lelouch lowered the boy to her level, and finally greeted her wondrous and two-year old nephew.

"Hello, Alexander. I'm your Aunt Nunnally."

vVvVv

"Mistress, a-are you sure?" Jeremiah stammered as he watched the immortal woman hastily pack her things into her traveling bags, separating her belongings and Master Lelouch's.

Jeremiah Gottwald had dutifully followed her into the room she occupied at her behest. But whatever request he had been expecting had not involved _this_. He couldn't fathom why she considered this in the first place, considering how well things were going. Did she and Master Lelouch have ample time to discuss these certain matters?

She was unaware of his train of thought as he carefully tucked them away into other bags, clearly meant to be her son's and his father's. She never stopped her packing even when she knew Jeremiah's gaze bored into her back, confused and wondering.

"Master Lelouch might—"

"Lelouch will understand. I'm doing this for him and his son, after all." C.C. straightened up, moving her bags from one location to another before she stalked past Jeremiah to fix the bed she'd occupied. "I need to track down those Geass fragments, Jeremiah."

"But there were _millions_ — Please. Send me."

C.C. paused her packing for a moment to gauge his face and his bafflement. For a moment, she appeared as if she was considering that route, but she shook her head in the end, to Jeremiah's utter dismay. It was true that Jeremiah Gottwald would be an invaluable person to bring along in this quest, but she didn't feel right, assenting to his pleas. He had done aplenty for them already, things he shouldn't have to do.

"I can't ask this of you. It wouldn't be right." The immortal woman resumed her task, only catching glimpses of Jeremiah's distraught expression from the corner of her eye. "You've sacrificed much to care for my family even if you didn't need to. It's time you solely focus on raising Anya and caring for your plantation. More profits to be had in the coming seasons."

Jeremiah couldn't even find it in him to smile at what was supposed to be a humorous quip at the end. Could Mistress C.C. see how unwise this was? If she couldn't, he'd have to find a swift way to make her realize. Or was she aware of the cons of this decision and merely shrugging them off because… Because of _what_?

He had a feeling it had something to do with her relationship with Lelouch, but he wasn't privy to her secret thoughts, and he had no real desire to pry. So he brought up the well-being of one precious life to hopefully make her think.

"What of his Highness? Alexander will need you, surely."

She paused yet again, and Jeremiah felt hope bloom in his chest, only to be dashed to pieces when she said her next words.

"I'm not going away forever." C.C. reasoned, securing straps and closing flies. "I'll be present in his life as much as I can, but regrettably, I can't stay with them everyday. This mission might as well _take_ me forever, but there's no other better person to do it."

She pushed the doubts aside as she forcefully beat back that side of her that screamed about how inconsequential her search for Geass fragments were compared to a complete family life for her son. Life was filled with horrendous choices, some of them so tough and impossible that they were almost _laughable_. And C.C. feared that if she stalled or hesitated any further, she just might make the wrong decision that could lead to repercussions she would regret for the rest of her existence.

Perhaps she _should have_ consulted with Lelouch on the matter first, but he shouldn't have to worry himself with the matters of the known supernatural world. He had his happy ending now, surrounded by friends and family and now his son. She didn't want to shatter that happiness by ripping him away from the people who so obviously wanted and needed him there. Plus, with them around, Alexander could grow up with no lack of love from a family.

And it was just as she told Jeremiah too… She would be busy tracking down these Geass fragments from now on (no thanks to Shamna's meddling with C's World), but that didn't mean she was leaving Alexander and _never seeing him again_. She would be present in his life still, just not there physically all time.

It was no different from an ordinary parent working overseas for the benefit of their family…

"For Master Lelouch, you say?"

"For the endurance of his Requiem. 'Tis is his wish."

And Jeremiah had noting more to say to that…

vVvVv

Alexander stomped around the little playpen they'd made, toppled blocks in his wake and abandoned stuffed wild animals strewn about the color-rich mats. It was amazing that Jeremiah and Anya packed so much of his favorite toys when they journeyed here to aid Lelouch in his rescue mission for Nunnally.

And now the toddler was enjoying the fruit of their efforts as he pretended to be some massive monster, terrorizing a city full of stuffed animals and building blocks. He roared and laughed and squealed, and Suzaku, Lelouch, and Nunnally were all content to watch his enjoyment unfold before their very eyes.

"Brother, he's absolutely _delightful_." Nunnally crooned as Alexander ran to and fro a couple of times before he surrendered gleefully and plopped down on Lelouch's lap, chanting 'ee-gen' over and over.

The trio had spent the last hour filling Nunnally in on some of the important details surrounding Alexander's conception, birth, and first two years of life. It led to the Honorary Consultant expressing gratitude once more to both Jeremiah and Anya. Anya then whipped out her phone and showed Lelouch and Nunnally, Alexander's pictures while Suzaku entertained his best friend's son with two flying Knightmares he'd tried to grab out of the air.

"Do you think he'll be like you when he grows up?" Nunnally asked curiously, tousling Alexander's messy hair as he handed her a block.

"That's something I've yet to know. He reminds me a little bit of C.C. though."

Nunnally giggled demurely behind a hand.

"What?" Lelouch blinked at her innocently, looking very much like Alexander when he was inquisitive about something, or whenever he turned to people calling his name, wondering what they could possibly want.

"Nothing." Nunnally chirped, choosing to hide her thoughts on how _obvious_ Lelouch's attraction and affection for C.C. was.

"Wont Lany-lot…" Alexander was chanting, holding onto his toes as he swung back and forth while staring up at Suzaku.

The brunet lowered the Knightmare figurine, and Alexander immediately grabbed for it, Suzaku handing it over without further teasing because he was thinking of something. And from the look on his face, Lelouch highly doubted he was going to like whatever came out of Suzaku's mouth next.

"Do you want to see the _real_ Lancelot?" Suzaku grinned, poking the toy's detachable head. Alexander followed the movement of his fingers and slowly stared back at Suzaku curiously.

"Weal Lany-lot?"

"M-hmm…" He nodded, picking the toddler up and lifting him mid-air so he mimed flying. Alexander squealed and giggled at Suzaku's mouth-popping and motorboat noises as he swayed him around. "We can ride Lancelot together."

He was not exactly sure _when_ , but the Knightmare _was_ out there, stationary inside a delivery crate. He was thinking of piloting the Knightmare at night, where darkness would hide them from any chance sightings, and plus, he'd take them both above the clouds for extra caution, and—

"You are _not_ taking him on the Lancelot." Lelouch interrupted, fixing Suzaku with steely eyes.

Suzaku and Alexander shared confused expressions. Alexander just stared at Papa blankly, wondering why he was refusing to let him see or ride the 'weal Lany-lot'.

"Aw, come on!" Suzaku grinned. "He'll be totally fine. I'll take him above the clouds so no one can see. Not that anyone will pay mind to a flying Knightmare above the border town."

"He's two!"

"And he's with me. He'll be—"

"Lany-lot!"

"See?" The squabbling men both looked to the toddler. " _You_ want to ride inside Lancelot, don't you?"

Lelouch resisted the urge to flick his best friend's mouth as it started making motorboat noises again. But Alexander's squeal of delight easily calmed Lelouch's protests, and to hear his son cheer for 'Na-kul Zaku,' and 'Lany-lot' was enough to calm Lelouch's concerns and paranoia. For now, at least. He trusted Suzaku with Nunnally and the care of their new world — a far bigger responsibility. He could manage flying a Knightmare frame and keeping an overexcited toddler safe, couldn't he?

"Fine…" Lelouch sighed. "Just strap him in with a car seat or something."

 _Or better yet, attach him to your own body_ …

"Your Papa said 'yes.'"

"Yaaaaayyyy!"

"Well, it's nice to see you three together. We're glad you've awoken, Nunnally, Lelouch."

Their mutual older sister stepped through the threshold looking as regal as ever, with customary weapon at her side. Although she _did_ look a little weary. Lelouch blamed the necessary politics that came with Schneizel's reinforcements. His sister had spent the better part of the morning treating with Zilkhistani politicians and congregating with the Black Knights, and it showed in her voice and her face.

Still, Cornelia's severe expression softened significantly when Alexander recognized her and immediately squealed, 'Cow-nee-lee!' He wriggled his little body, asking to be let down. Suzaku complied and the toddler immediately took off and wrapped his short arms around Cornelia's knees, stopping the Princess in her tracks.

Wistfulness overcame her features as she looked upon her brother's child — her nephew. Charles zi Britannia never had grandchildren during the last years of his reign. And Cornelia found it quite amusing that _Lelouch_ , of all Princes, was the first to have offspring.

"For the short time that he's known me, he seems overly attached." Cornelia commented, stooping down to lift Alexander into the air, just as he wanted.

Lelouch was smirking. "Jeremiah _did_ say that he's very agreeable."

"I brought something for you." At her words, everyone's curiosity was piqued. Cornelia reached into the fanny bag strapped around her hips and pulled out a pendant with a moderately sized gleaming gem at the center.

She asked Alexander to hold the gem, which he did, staring at it with such wonder. A fine jeweler would have seen the finely crafted accessory and have been impressed. It was no diamond, but it was just as highly priced. A small Alexandrite pendant, attached to a delicate chain of white gold. But to Alexander, it was nothing more than something shiny and fascinating, and reminded him of Papa's eyes.

Cornelia delicately fastened the chain around his neck, letting the gem hang loosely to his chest, where he still grasped the stone between his fingers, staring at it intently.

"You are a Prince in name and blood, and you would have received something like this had you been given proper presentation." She stroked his hair, and delicately ran her fingertips across the back of his hand. "One of the Zilkhistani royals' prized heirlooms, surrendered in good faith. Now it's yours, little Conqueror."

_For your father was born a Prince, crowned an Emperor, and remembered as a Conqueror… And it's thanks to him that you were born into this new world._

As if he knew her thoughts, her nephew smiled at her, flashing all of his baby teeth in a charming little smile.

"There are still rough spots in need of ironing with Zilkhistan, but everyone hopes for good arrangements in the following days." Cornelia declared, handing Alexander back to Lelouch. "Anyway, I came to hold post-battle meetings with the remaining forces here, and we'll fly back for Gralbahd mid-afternoon."

"How's Ms. Cecile?" Suzaku thought to ask.

"Stable and healing, thankfully. On their way back to Britannia with Dr. Lloyd and Nina." Kallen piped up as she reappeared at the doorway, relieved smile plastered across her face. Lelouch and Nunnally both let out a breath at this.

"I'll need to speak to you later, Kururugi. And you too, Nunnally. I'll assume you'll be leaving too, Lelouch?"

Her question was met with collective nods, and some shared confusions. But nevertheless, all were in agreement. Cornelia smiled at them all and made to leave outside the door again to call for a meeting, and Alexander piped up in Lelouch's lap and bid a 'Bye-bye Cow-nee-lee!'

"Thank you, Cornelia…"

vVvVv

She felt silly staying longer in front of the mirror under the guise of securing the braids that held her hair back. With her bags already at the front porch, cloistered away behind chairs and tables, all that was left was for her to leave the room she'd occupied for two nights. She'd already finished double-checking the three duffel bags that housed Alexander's and Lelouch's essentials.

Cornelia and the others (that included Nunnally and Lelouch as well), were leaving the border town mid-afternoon, splitting as they went. Every minute detail of their little plan was unknown to her, but she knew Cornelia was returning to Gralbahd to continue preparations and make arrangements for bringing Zilkhistan into the fold, and she already knew that Jeremiah would make sure of his Masters' safety anyway.

 _She_ couldn't leave with them, so C.C. figured she'd do it early — slinking back into a plentiful crowd.

Here was the hard part… Telling Alexander goodbye for now.

She'd see him again, she was sure of it. It was always just a question of when. She would promise to call often too, and as much as she could—

"Are you sneaking away?"

Startled, C.C. turned away from her distraught reflection to see Kallen with her entire profile against the doorway.

C.C. frowned. "No, I'm not. I was going to say goodbye."

Kallen still looked skeptical as she gauged C.C. dressed entirely in traveler garb. "By hiding your bags at the front porch?"

She didn't put her bags in the front porch with the intention of hiding them or sneaking away, but _whatever_. She had no control of Kallen's way of thinking.

"I can't be a part of any public group." C.C. said instead as she left the room and Kallen followed her closely, crossing the short hallway and into the main room. "You'll see me around."

She should have known that it wouldn't be so easy though. Leaving, invited questions, and Suzaku was the prime source as he approached her and Kallen with a glass of water in hand. Lelouch wasn't too far behind, carrying Alexander and standing next to Nunnally. Through the archway in the kitchen, the immortal woman spotted both Jeremiah and Anya staying silent but watching the scene unfold quietly.

Great… Just what she needed. _An audience._

It didn't help because as Kallen started concisely explaining the situation, C.C. felt more and more like a cornered child in front of a group of adults — about to be judged for something she couldn't _entirely_ explain. The horrible feeling in her gut climbed higher to her throat especially when Suzaku and Nunnally gasped — surprise and mortification plain on their expression.

"But what about Alexander?" Suzaku piped up after Kallen finished explaining. "You can't just leave him."

"I'm not leaving him. I would never. I'll visit every so often. He'll still see me and know me." C.C. explained, resisting the urge to snap or fold completely to her irritation.

Instead, she focused on pushing down the uneasiness creeping up on her as Lelouch stayed silent and stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She didn't like that. Mostly because she couldn't discern what was running through his mind whenever he donned that face.

"C.C., please don't leave my brother." Nunnally piled on, wheeling closer to Suzaku and Kallen as she gazed up at C.C. beseechingly. "Lelouch wants to go with _you_."

The immortal woman resisted the urge to shake her head. Nunnally couldn't presume to know her brother's thoughts, even if she knew him better than anyone else. C.C. knew she _meant_ well, but Nunnally (and neither Suzaku and Kallen, for that matter) held any sway over Lelouch's final decision. If she told them _why_ she was leaving, they would understand and let her go.

But she couldn't exactly explain herself now, could she? Not when they were pelting her with questions and pleas to stay, she couldn't even get a word in edgewise.

"Could I have a moment alone with her?"

All heads turned to Lelouch and at the sound of his quiet but serious voice. Alexander stayed still in his father's arms, as if he could sense the tension in the air and _understand_ the gravity of the situation. Her Emperor looked so grave and solemn (the same face he wore that fateful day when _he'd_ been the one who had to leave) that it tugged at her fragile heart, teased her with the possibility of a confession — not that it would change what she needed to do anyway.

With a heart weighed down by sudden guilt, she watched as his friends heeded his words and made to disperse, but not before Lelouch passed his son over to Kallen's waiting arms.

Alexander began to whine stubbornly, refusing to settle with Kallen when his mother and father obviously looked like there was something wrong. "Nooo. No. No go."

Both of their expressions softening, C.C. didn't hesitate stepping closer to peck her baby's left cheek, whispering reassuring words into his ear about how there was nothing to worry about. To Alexander's right, Lelouch came forward and kissed his little fist, simply letting him know that mother and father needed to talk.

With baleful eyes, Alexander stared just like the rest of the group as the pair left the confines of the house, oblivious to the worried glances their friends and family exchanged.

Lelouch's fingers were gentle and firm as they curled around her arm, and he led her to the front porch where they could _at least_ get a semblance of privacy, and stay away from the harsh heat of the scorching Middle Eastern sun at the same time.

But despite all the welcome distractions presented before her on silver platters, C.C. couldn't help but feel that for the first time in a good long while, her trepidation multiply tenfold at whatever he might try to say to her, and what she might end up damning right after.


	12. Rewriting the Stars

Lelouch and C.C. were two interesting characters in a story solely written by Fate and the rest of the universe. This, Anya figured for two whole years as she had watched them closely like she'd never done before. Contrary to what Jeremiah assumed, her interest in the two stretched back as far as when it was revealed to the world that Zero was Lelouch.

It was just a shame that she could never quite recall any of her observations that hadn't been recorded, thanks to her own mishaps with Geass.

Anya liked to think that her fascination for the two was given a second chance when C.C. arrived at Jeremiah's newly bought plot of land and colonial farm home, considerably pregnant yet expectant of what Shirley and Jeremiah had written about in their little disguised invitation.

Lelouch's first revival was accompanied with disappointment, and she, Anya, had borne witness to C.C.'s quiet despair as she lamented over her failure. Something had gone wrong, and it was plain to see. If she looked back on it now, Anya could clearly picture what life had been like with Lelouch's shell — a terrified, paranoid, helpless mess of a man who had no purpose and no knowledge of what he was in the world for.

No memories… In a way, just like hers, but different, and to a far more severe degree.

Through it all, C.C. never neglected him, not once — even with a newborn baby in the house. For sure, she and Jeremiah helped as much as they can, but for the past two years, Anya was witness to how C.C. always walked the extra mile to see to her lover's needs. It was more than just bringing him food, bathing him, dressing him, or reading bedtime stories to his unresponsive shell. Often, C.C. spoke to him of his past actions, and about how Lelouch vi Britannia actually was, in vain hopes of restoring his past self.

Anya had watched and Anya had listened, and slowly began piecing together the small stories and her first hand information to form a more coherent and complete picture of Lelouch's personality and his personal convictions.

A complex character, this man was… Some might say he had questionable morals, and unorthodox methods — not at all that far from C.C.'s own traits. (Or at least, _the traits_ the immortal woman exhibited when she'd been living with them).

They were both oh so willing to sacrifice what they could for the sake of the people they cared about.

Just as Lelouch gave up everything to give the world what it longed for, C.C. was now hellbent on sacrificing her personal happiness for the sake of Lelouch's legacy — at least according to C.C. when she'd spoken to Jeremiah.

Thus, led the two to confront each other on the front porch with its hastily put together fences and pushed back furniture. Anya watched the two of them closely now, intent on seeing the outcome of Lelouch's assertion after Jeremiah relayed C.C.'s thoughts and reasonings earlier.

Heaving a quiet sigh, Anya laid her head atop her folded arms, closely watching the Emperor and his Empress. Personally, she wanted them to work things out… If not for the two of them, then for their son whom they both evidently loved with everything they had.

vVvVv

Ever since his return from C's World, C.C. had borne witness to the many emotions he'd exhibited. Confusion, joy, relief, gratitude, confidence, arrogance, smugness, annoyance, disappointment. That last emotion was what was so prominent on his features now.

"C.C., why?" Was all he said, not entirely what she'd expected.

Distraught and sad; and perhaps if she looked close enough, a little lost once again. She could hear the rest of what he was supposed to say, suppressed underneath his hesitation.

_Why are you leaving?_

"I need to track down those Geass fragments that Shamna left behind." She steeled herself as she spoke her truth, hiding the slight inflections in her voice while she held herself tighter. "Left unattended, it could mean repercussions that would shatter the peace you built and paid for with your own life. Do you want that?"

She'd shocked him. _Good_.

"Life on the road is no place for Alexander." She continued stubbornly. "He needs to grow up within a stable home, surrounded by family. It's too dangerous for him, and—"

"And you were going to tell me this, _when_?" The knuckles of his right hand turned a shade paler as his grip on the feeble wooden fence tightened.

"I'm telling you now."

"While you're about to _leave_?" He gasped, incredulous — doing his best to hide his agitation. "C.C., there are better ways to go about it, if it's that important."

_Did he not understand that she was doing this_ for him _?_ "I have to do it. No one else can."

"Are you forgetting about me?" _I'm just as capable as_ you _are…_

C.C.'s lip subtly caught underneath her teeth as she did her best to ignore the muscle feathering at his jaw. She was his source of frustration, she knew. Just as she couldn't ask this of Jeremiah, she couldn't bring herself to selfishly convince Lelouch to _join her_. Wasn't he tired? In just two years of life, he'd been through so much and matured in ways others have not. After coming back to life, he _deserved_ to spend whatever time he had left with friends who loved him, and with a son who so clearly adored him with each passing day.

"Alexander needs you with him. He deserves a complete family." Was all the immortal woman had to say instead, tucking away her real reasonings behind the veil of half-truths, and knowing full-well how half-assed her excuses sounded.

Lelouch couldn't believe what he was hearing… Did she think their family would be complete _without her_? If she left now to chase after millions of fragments scattered all over the world?

"Even if I chose to stay with Nunnally and let Alexander live with us, it wouldn't be a complete family. Not without you. He needs the two of us. He _needs you_."

He didn't doubt her words about keeping in close contact with them if she ever left, but being physically present for a growing child was miles different from being a distant parent, only ever recognized through long distance phone calls a few times a day. But something told him this wasn't her _entire_ reason for making the choice that she did.

Why was she _willingly_ detaching herself from the rest of them? From him? Why was she sacrificing her personal desires to stay with her son in favor of chasing down Geass fragments all alone? What was the rush, and why was she so adamant about doing it all by herself?

"C.C., let us speak truth. Why are you _really_ doing this?"

Her face seemed to harden, but their eyes met — both alight with challenge as one actively sought the truth while the other looked on pleadingly. "I'm not lying to you when I say I'm doing this for the sake of your legacy."

"No, but there's something else, isn't there?" He pressed further, rubbing the pads of his fingers lightly along the distressed wooden fence that bordered the front porch. "Why take on this alone? Why are you prioritizing this over your own son when it's clear to everyone that you love him?" _Why are you choosing the Geass fragments over being with me?_

"You want a better future for the world, don't you?" She was tired of repeating this. But some hidden part of her screamed at her for hiding _the other reason_ from him. "If these fragments fall on the wrong hands, do you understand how dangerous it is? Possessing a Geass was always a faulty coin-toss before — when it was given through contracts between Code bearers and interested mortals like you. How worse do you think it would be if it were granted freely to any random person it falls on? It's _my_ responsibility. As the only person who can seal a Geass away. I owe it your new world, especially after the blood you shed to get it." _Especially after everything I've done to you…_ "Isn't it your wish, exalted Emperor?"

"You didn't really answer my question…" Just explained further what she first told him when he'd asked.

"You're not answering mine either." She shot back haughtily, stubbornly imposing her noble choices.

_He_ could freely sacrifice himself in the name of honor and love for his family and for their world, _why couldn't she?_

"Yes and no."

"What?"

The surprise in her bullion eyes urged him to plow on, and he took one step closer, voice holding firm as he said, "Yes, I want this peaceful world to endure. But it isn't the only wish I have, as you probably already guessed."

When C.C. just continued to stare at him with wide and confused eyes, Lelouch resisted the urge to release the exasperated sigh lingering at the back of his throat.

"I wish for a complete family." He confessed at last, pushing back his fears of rejection. "I wish to be our son's father." He stepped closer still and reached for her hand. "I wish you and I could be together… For however long we have."

C.C. barely suppressed the shudder that rippled down her spine and made her toes curl when her treacherous heart refused to shy away from Lelouch's affectionate touch. It felt like being transported back in time — back into the unfinished conversation in that bedroom, first when he'd kissed her lips and second when he'd given her a glimpse of his true feelings after leaving signs of his tender feelings on her cheek.

"That's three wishes." She said instead, an empty observation to distract herself from her heart's own insistence.

She couldn't do this… How was he so capable of breaking her walls down every single _gods-be-damned_ _time?_

"I know." The sigh that left him let his breath warm the skin at her hairline. That was how close he was standing to her. And each rise and fall of his chest contributed to how susceptible she was becoming to her own enduring wishes and his. "But only one person can fulfill all three, don't you agree?"

Lelouch's breath caught in his throat when she peered at him through her fluttering eyelashes. Did she know how _breathtaking_ she was?

"But the Geass fragments—"

"Can be found and _will_ be found. But we're not prioritizing that over him—" Emboldened by her response, his free hand joined the other one and now they both held her hands, "—and over each other."

" _We?_ " She gaped at him — catching on to something in his words that wasn't quite the point, and like torrents pouring from a dam, the words came rushing out. _"_ It's dangerous for Alexander. And I— I can't _ask this of you_. This is why I want to do it alone. It's going to be difficult, and you don't need more of that. Not after everything you've been through, and not after what you've already endured—"

_Ah, so_ that _was what she was worried about… Her_ true _reason._

That took a lot of subtle prodding, but he was happy now. Happy that the skies were clear, and he could see what he needed to do to ease her troubled heart.

"You stubborn creature." A satisfied smirk crept across his lips, and his gaze wandered to where they were joined, his thumbs brushing affectionately across the backs of her smaller hands. "When will you realize that I'm not telling you to abandon whatever you set out to do?"

"What are you telling me then?"

"I'm asking to come with you. Where you go, I go. We'll find those fragments together. We'll figure it out. But more importantly, we'll raise our son as committed partners, and we can be a family." _As we should have been long ago…_

It sounded so easy… _Too damn easy_. Here he was, offering up the very thing that granted her secret wishes and decimated her fears. But what of the other people that mattered to him? Did he not care for them anymore?

"What about Suzaku and Nunnally? And your other friends… Shirley or Kaguya…"

Even as she asked her questions, he smiled patiently — like he knew all the answers. And knowing him, he probably did.

"I've discussed it with Nunnally and Suzaku and the others. They all know about Alexander and I choosing to stay with you — going wherever you go. As for my other friends, it's nothing an eventual phone call can't fix."

There he stood, with metaphorical hands outstretched, inviting her to take one last step forward and take this other gift he wanted to give. She should have known it would come to this — should have foreseen it as a possibility. He had a knack for throwing curve balls and pulling out the most unexpected of decisions during the most _critical times_.

And if _this_ was his honest wish, then who was she to deny him this? He never denied hers. In the end, all she wanted was his happiness, and if _this_ was what was going to make him happy, then—

"If you're going to do this, you're going to have to decide what to do with your face and an alias. No one can know who you are even if we're traveling a lot, I'm sure you're aware of—"

"I know that, and I've already thought about it." Amused, Lelouch chuckled as he reached for her hand and played with her fingers. "Taking it from Lelouch Lamperouge, what if I went with L.L.?"

_L.L…_

What if he went with _L.L.?_ Not Lelouch vi Britannia, nor Lelouch Lamperouge any longer. But a different name (closely related to his first and yet not) to symbolize his rebirth into a different life. It was more than that though, wasn't it? He was _willingly_ surrendering his name — who he was, the trappings of his past — to adopt _hers_. If she had second thoughts about his _true_ desires (not that she had any), _this_ certainly banished them _all_.

She never thought she'd feel such happiness over something so trivial as changing names to conceal an identity, but she _was_. Because the _both of them_ , knew and understood the _depth_ and the significance of such a choice.

She didn't even have to say anything, and he _knew_ …

He didn't have to explain himself further than necessary, and she _understood_.

He _truly_ wanted to be with her. Not out of obligation or honor, but because he _genuinely_ desired it. He could share this new life with whomever he chose, and he chose _her_ — C.C., the Witch, the woman who time forgot.

Her voice thick with emotion, and with tears on the brink of spilling at the corners of her eyes, she still forced herself to ask. "You're really sure about this?"

_Yes, yes I am…_

If he wasn't sure before, he was now. Her smile had always been beautiful, and to see it now after everything they had been through felt like a blessing from the heavenly realms. To see and know that he'd made her so happy with his honest professions and by communicating the desires of his heart, very nearly brought him to his knees right before her.

Hands trembling with anticipation, he closed the last few inches separating the two of them as he cupped her warm and rosy cheeks, his hands now a little wet from the tears of quiet happiness that rolled down her face. Their foreheads now pressed together, he delighted in breathing her in as he spoke his affirmation.

"I have never been surer of anything else in this new life."

"Lelouch…" _No,_ L.L.

The world's once glorious Emperor held his breath as he finally said, "I love you, Witch. I always have, and I always will. You ought to know." _It's why I do what I do_.

_Gods_ , it felt good to tell her… Nunnally had been right.

Still, he hesitated as he gazed upon her with all the innocence of a hopeful child. "Do you—?"

"You're an idiot if you don't know the answer to that." She sniffed, leaning into his touch in spite of herself, trying in vain to preserve her stoic nature and the frankness that she was known for.

Eyes twinkling with unadulterated happiness, his lips teased her as they brushed over the bridge of her nose. "Say it then…"

"I love you, Warlock."

Her dark lashes wet with residual tears, and her gentle hands on his wrists was the physical proof of her own quiet confession. He had nothing to fear in the beginning after all.

Because she loved him too, and he realized he was an idiot for not being clever enough to read the signs when it was _so obvious_ to him now.

In her, he'd found true love. For loving was more than just the sex and the kisses. It wasn't just about shyly fluttering eyelashes, reddening cheeks, butterflies in the stomach, and warm smiles. To love was to act. To love was to do what's best for the person you loved. It was sacrifice, and action, and emotion all melded into one confusing brew. But one of the most delightful to be had in this world.

"And there's another wish that you just fulfilled."

She would have said more — would have nipped back at his teasing with her own smart retorts if only to disguise the overwhelming relief she felt after he told her he loved her. But all of it vanished into nonexistence when he repeated that fateful night's instances, only this was more passionate and more meaningful than the one that came before.

Words that disappeared behind a shared kiss so potent it stuck her feet to the ground, letting her bask in none other than her Warlock's safe and wonderful embrace. Lips melding together and arms twining around one another so intimately that it filled his head with thoughts of his lovely immortal Witch — memories of everything she'd done for his sake and thoughts of how ethereal her smile was.

He _loved her_ , and she _loved him too_ … This love built on mutual trust and intimacy that ran deeper than skin. Their love that stood against the test of a hundred sacrifices and separations. A love that gave them their precious little Prince.

Love that pushed him to complete recreating their world…

Love that drove her to make the impossible, possible…

A love that rewrote the stars.

vVvVv

"Don't you guys need to breathe?"

"You two _seriously_ need to get a room."

"You can't do that in front of the baby!"

"Mu-mu… Pa-pa?"

Suzaku, Kallen, Nunnally, and Alexander… _Seriously?_

There were a few things L.L. hated, and now he realized that being _rudely_ interrupted from a rather satisfying make-out was one of them.

He never thought his Witch would be the type to feel suddenly shy after being caught red-handed like that, but he supposed he was entitled to _some_ surprises every now and again. From how frequently C.C. used to tease him about being daft at romance, he never imagined _she_ would be the first to bury her head on his chest and merely acknowledge the four perps for such an interruption with little more than a teeny peek.

"I take it you guys worked things out?" Suzaku sounded amused as he chuckled from his spot behind the wide open window, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at L.L.

Kallen snorted. "After how their tongues were down each other's thro—"

"Okay, that's enough." Nunnally interrupted pointedly, feeling more than a little bit uncomfortable as she hugged her nephew closer. "So, what's the verdict?"

Thank the _gods_ for Nunnally and her cheery questions. It was just the type of diversion L.L. truly needed to steer this mortifying conversation _away_ from his and C.C.'s rather private moment. (Well, it was _supposed_ to be until their so-called friends decided to join in).

"Mu-mu go?" Alexander piped up from between Nunnally's arms, staring at C.C. with wide and slightly fearful purple eyes.

C.C. immediately left him to go to their baby, who reached for her with short yet eager arms, needing to be held. Alexander clung to his mother like a baby koala just as she busied herself with peppering kisses across his angelic face, stroking his silky crown of raven hair.

"Mother will stay. Mother will never leave you."

"Mu-mu stay." Alexander nuzzled his face between her breasts.

Smiling beside them, Lelouch couldn't stop himself from kissing his son's cheek too, whispering quiet words of comfort and reassurance to a child who so obviously feared the disappearance of his parents from his life once again. He and C.C. had been separate from Alexander _for a year,_ after all.

And from his concealment behind one of the arched thresholds that led to the kitchen, Jeremiah watched the scene unfold outside with Anya, both happy that Master and Mistress found a resolution that need not hurt Alexander or each other…

What a wonderful family Lelouch, C.C., and Alexander would be.

vVvVv

Alexander's shrieks of joviality and excitement reached them across the sandy plains. As the dust slowly settled from Lancelot's rather spectacular landing (Suzaku, you _show-off_ ), the hatch opened with a familiar puff. Suzaku and Alexander reappeared with grins on both of their faces. Enthusiastically, Alexander bounced within the confines of his baby carrier as he waved at two familiar figures seven feet away.

"We're never going to get him back after this, are we?" His smile dropping the moment Alexander turned away, L.L. grumbled and sulked slightly beside C.C.

She crooned at him and playfully pinched his cheek. "Oh, _relax_. Suzaku may be his new favorite now, but I know he will _always_ have a place in his heart for the likes of _you_."

"The likes of _me_?" He gaped at her incredulously, and she responded with a simple cheeky wink before she wholly acknowledged the return of Lancelot's pilot and her babbling son.

L.L. was content to watch his partner take their son into her arms and as he listened to Alexander squeal and cheer about flying and touching the sky. They made such a lovable display, and it didn't take long for C.C. and Alexander to disappear back inside the house after letting him know where they were headed. The toddler needed a bath to freshen him up before they left. Left alone to his thoughts once again, L.L. remained and watched his best friend exchange words with the engineers Cornelia's team at Gralbahd deployed — probably a conversation concerning the concealment and care of his precious Lancelot and what remained of the frame coats Kanon had sent.

When Suzaku wrapped up with his instructions, he slowly made his way over to Lelouch's side. The man was busy staring off into the distance, gazing at the shadowed hills beyond as if it were the next best venture for money-making. Though, knowing Lelouch, he was probably busy organizing a mental list or constructing another plan that involved his new family.

His friend's family… They'd spent the better part of three days reunited once again through some incredible twist of fate, and it took _that long_ to let the truth and the gravity of the situation sink in.

His best friend was a _literal_ father now, with a family to look after, and a son to raise.

"Busy planning?"

The gradually lengthening mental to-do list for the next three days was abruptly cut short at the sound of Suzaku's voice, and L.L. shelved what he'd created for later as he turned his head to give his best friend his full attention.

"You could say that."

"I'm not surprised." Suzaku chuckled, tossing back what little drinking water remained inside his plastic bottle. "Sometimes I still can't believe it."

"What?"

"That you're a father now. I mean, I knew two years ago, but the truth has sunk in after seeing Alexander and C.C., and… And now we're all going separate ways again too."

L.L. considered Suzaku's words carefully, turning them over and over in his head to see where exactly his friend was going with this observation. "It's for the better."

"Everything's changed again, huh?"

"In a manner of saying."

The two stayed quiet for a while as Suzaku mulled over his next words, weighing the pros and cons of bringing up a topic that he and his friend never really touched from the moment they were reunited. They'd spoken alone plenty of times, but Suzaku felt that with the rift that had existed between him and Lelouch in the past, some things just couldn't be tackled in one sitting. That, and they had barely had time.

"Aren't you worried, or disappointed that the rest of Zero Requiem didn't work out quite the way you wanted or expected?" He said at last, holding the empty water bottle in front of him.

"What do you mean?" L.L. was frowning, and Suzaku rushed to elaborate what he meant.

"More than four or five people know that you're alive , aren't you the least bit worried about a leak or a betrayal, or—"

A patient smile crossed L.L.'s face as he watched the brunet fidget with the empty water bottle. "It's just another gamble, Suzaku. But not really, if you consider the fact that no one wants another war or chaos. Peace was something everyone coveted for a long time, and now that the world has it, wouldn't you want to keep it?"

Suzaku looked positively pensive, but relieved that he didn't have to explain further because his friend understood when he said, "That's what scares me, honestly."

"You're not entirely wrong. Seeds of dispute are planted during peace times. Zilkhistan being a prime example. It's just as plausible, even in a united world. Even if the Black Knights are a strong military force."

Chuckling, he elbowed Lelouch's arm gingerly. "It only takes someone as stubborn and as dedicated as you to undo what you've done."

L.L. snorted. "Then let's thank the fact that the world remembers how _atrocious_ I was. Besides, not all of these changes are that bad."

"What do you mean?"

The statement honestly confused Suzaku. He could agree with Lelouch's views, to a point, but what was the other change that he failed to think of? Apart from his friend being alive to father Alexander, of course.

"It wouldn't be fair to insist on you sacrificing your own happiness, your name, and your face in the future in the name of the sentence I passed when I died."

Stunned, Suzaku stared at his friend with his mouth forming a silent 'o,' mind flashing back to a vivid memory from two years ago that seemed like it happened in a different world and to a different person.

" _The punishment for what you've done shall be this, then. You will live on, always wearing that mask serving as a knight for justice and truth. You will no longer live your life as Suzaku Kururugi. You shall sacrifice the ordinary pleasures of your life for the benefit of the world for eternity."_

But why would Lelouch _suddenly decide this?!_

"When Zero Requiem happened," L.L. started, gaze just as distant as Suzaku's as he recalled faint memories of red stark against white — impaled upon a sword; the pain of sliding off an inclined platform, "—you and I never got what we really wanted. It was our sacrifice together. Our penance. But now that I've technically circumvented the rules yet again—"

"Lelouch… What are you—?"

L.L. turned back to Suzaku, violet meeting green in locked gazes filled with resolve. "I'm telling you to find what or who makes you happy, Suzaku." He ignored the quiet gasp from the other man and continued, "Of course, I'm not telling you to expose yourself to the world after everyone believes and knows you've died, that's impractical and compromises what we've both worked for. I'm—"

Telling him to live as Suzaku Kururugi in the presence of the people who matter to him the most.

_Gods,_ Suzaku had wanted that… Had wanted the freedom of not stifling his identity behind a mask that wasn't even his to begin with. How many times in the past two years had he wallowed in self-loathing and despair, and resisted the urge to slip the mask in front of his other friends, and not just Nunnally's? He wanted to see Milly, and Shirley, and Kallen, and Gino, and Anya, and the others face-to-face. The only time he ever truly _felt_ human was whenever he was in the presence of Nunnally and whenever he'd slipped the mask off in private after a tiring day of submitting to his duties and to his best friend's dying wishes.

Living with the mask was Suzaku's punishment for his sins, just as dying for the world was Lelouch's.

Lelouch was _right_ … Zero Requiem was Suzaku's and Lelouch's punishment. And now…

"Besides, I believe being Zero is much easier when you have people you trust around you." L.L. continued, speaking the words that ran through Suzaku's head at this very moment. "People who know who you are, and will help you however they can. We'll all do our part to keep this world's peace going for longer."

_Just like mine and C.C.'s role to seek out those Geass fragments…_

Smiling in quiet gratitude and true understanding, Suzaku couldn't help shaking his head and jokingly said, "Whatever happened to sacrificing the ordinary pleasures of my life for the benefit of the world until the day I die?"

"That only works if I _stayed dead_." L.L. scoffed. "It's not fair to force you to uphold that end when I clearly didn't hold mine."

"But you never asked to be brought back from the dead." Suzaku couldn't help insisting.

L.L. just shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm here, regardless. Besides, most of our friends and allies already know you're alive, even if they weren't _supposed_ to in the first place. Might as well let them in on a secret."

This felt like cheating… It was just as he'd told Lelouch the day before yesterday. But it was _clear_ that his best friend never asked to be revived, and even then (even if it was technically cheating), he was back for unselfish reasons, for the most part. Kallen insisted on Zero being more than just a symbol to her too. Was it wrong to hope for a new beginning all over again?

"I'm not the Suzaku everyone once knew anymore."

L.L. smirked knowingly. "And I'm not Lelouch vi Britannia or Lelouch Lamperouge either. For you are Zero and I am L.L. In this at least, you and I are together again."

Suzaku couldn't stop grinning at that proposition. It was better than the both of them deserved, but it was a different form of atonement all on its own. And it suited them just fine. He'd never thought he'd hear of people openly accepting punishments like this, but he didn't mind being one of the first or the few.

"Abandoning our names and shedding our past identities while we live the rest of our lives in secret service to this recreated world." Their gazes met and they both shared chuckles. "How poetic of you, Lelouch."

His best friend was a different man, and yet, underneath it all, Suzaku could still glimpse bits and pieces of the Lelouch he knew from childhood and through school at Ashford. The Lelouch who never gave up. The Lelouch who never failed at finding solutions that would benefit many and harm little (or none at all). _Gods_ , they could accomplish so many great things together, if only Lelouch could stay. But they both knew better now…

"We'll see each other again, won't we?" Suzaku hated that he sounded a little clingy, but he couldn't stop himself. Twas the remnants of the wistful and headstrong boy he'd been before Japan's fall underneath Britannian hands.

"Of course, we will. Plus, it's a little difficult to keep Alexander away from you now thanks to that little Knightmare flight."

The two men shared laughs, both oblivious to the watchful gaze of one immortal witch standing by the open doorway, one hand holding on to the opposite arm. A remarkable duo, these two were. Just like night and day. The perfect contrast and the fitting complement. She'd watched over their dynamic for two years and even well beyond Lelouch's death, and even she herself could admit that it was a bond unlike any other.

Their relationship had gone through several tears and mends, and it was the farthest thing from perfect. Yet after everything they'd been through, it was obvious that they both knew they shared the same sentiments deep down, and it never really changed from the day they first became friends.

Suzaku never had a brother. And Lelouch never truly liked any of his… But even if they weren't bound my blood, theirs was a bond built on so much more.

_For you are the brother I chose…_

"I'll miss you, Lelouch."

"Me too…"

vVvVv

So this was a goodbye… for now.

Everyone could agree on that at least, but only after Nunnally made her older brother promise that he would stay in touch as often as permissible. His other friends and family may not have agreed verbally, but they obviously echoed the sentiment the young consultant had shared.

And so farewells were heartily exchanged, and some tears were quietly shed. A godfather and a guardian gave their little lord temporary goodbyes, while sisters bid their brother, their future in-law, and their nephew farewell. Friends parted with promises to see one another someday, as two brothers hugged and murmured well-wishes for a brighter future to one another.

L.L. had never thought he'd be standing at the edge of the road of a small Zilkhistani border town one day, staring after loved ones as the caravan of armored vehicles dwindled and disappeared over the horizon. With one last smile, L.L. turned away and traversed the short route back to his waiting Witch and their lovely Prince.

Their new beginning…

"Is this what you really want?" C.C.'s voice was quiet as she gently strapped Alexander's car seat into place while their son slept soundly, snuggled up to Moong-kee the squirrel monkey.

"This again?" L.L. chuckled leaning on the open car door as C.C. finished securing their son in the backseat.

"Just making sure."

He could hear the smile in her voice as she teased him, and he reciprocated the gesture, warmth bubbling within him at the knowledge of loving her and being loved _by her_ in return.

Warm hands slid into her own as her Love brought her hands to his face, to brush his lips lightly across the knuckles of her right hand. There were no words of protest; only sputtering heartbeats as they drew closer to one another and indulged in a sultry kiss that was reminiscent of sweet summer wine shared in bed on lazy summer nights.

"Shall we begin our journey, my Empress?"

She whispered her 'yes,' but they never really got around to immediately jumping into the SUV to leave this little border town.

— Not when she was so distracted with his insistent lips on hers. Not when he was occupied with losing himself in her arms. Not when she was too busy reveling in this new happiness brought to her by the people she loved the most.


	13. Epilogue: The Emperor's New Dawn

_1 year later…_

Finding classified Black Knight reports about some international criminal possessing a Geass wasn't on Nunnally's daily schedule. It shouldn't have been on her desk, but then again, so shouldn't have the wholesome postcard hand-brought by Anya Alstreim when she visited after being summoned by Secretary Maldini and Prince Schneizel.

What a contrast they made…

"They've been busy."

Beside her, Suzaku commented with a small smirk as he sat leafing through Black Knight reports with Zero's mask abandoned on the usually empty space of the Honorary Consultant's occupied desk. If she hadn't known better, Nunnally would have assumed her dear friend was talking about military activity, but Suzaku's pointed look towards the postcard she held between her hands said otherwise.

" _They_ were responsible for stopping that criminal, weren't they?" She asked even when she already knew the answer.

"Highly likely. Probably stripped him of his powers before they abandoned him to be caught by the Black Knights."

He sounded so proud drawing up those conclusions that Nunnally found his smile so infectious. A year had passed since the Puzzlement at Hashvess was resolved and some secret reunions had taken place. After understanding her brother's goals and the decisions he'd made, Nunnally had no doubt now about how true Suzaku's statement actually as.

"It _does_ sound like something they would both do."

For a moment they both let the comfortable silence take over again as Suzaku dutifully looked over reports and as Nunnally took time to pore over 10 unread email messages — the first of her many tasks today. She had a lunch scheduled with Margaret and her dignitaries later on, a press conference with Kaguya by evening, and she needed to speak to Cornelia and Schneizel over dinner too. Her days were as busy as the next, but even then, Nunnally still found her thoughts drifting to the little family of three thousands of leagues of oceans away.

Their only connection, letters or postcards or keepsakes graciously sent from her brother.

There wasn't a schedule for their arrival. The gifts or packages came sparingly for caution's sake, but it was always nice to receive things from Leroy, or Leonard, or Lendell, or whatever alias that began with the letter 'L' that her brother never ceased to come up with. Today, it was from Levan.

Handmade crafts, a _supra_ , some _khantsi_ , and a painstakingly wrapped bottle of Orgo Saperavi ─ fresh from some cellar in Rustavi. There was a cute Polaroid picture of her nephew amid a field of marigolds too, coupled with hand-written notes from the sender himself.

"Do you reckon they're happy?" Nunnally asked, fondly and wistfully admiring the look of silent pleasure on her nephew's face with marigolds and tiny Lancelot clutched in one hand.

"I have no doubt…"

vVvVv

Tucked away and sheltered from the rest of the world, fingers diligently peeled articles of clothing bit by bit — one fabric at a time until every inch of skin was laid bare for his enjoyment and her pleasure. Hands mapped bodies; fingers on scars and marks. Gold melded into purple before disappearing behind shuttered lids, as lips fused and hips joined.

Bliss, satisfaction, and completion… Star bursts flared behind squeezed lids as backs arched in surrender and bowed off the mattress in submission.

Heaving, panting breaths filled the room. And secret giddy smiles dissolved beneath sensual and ardent kisses.

Sweet heavenly vanilla stuck to bare dewy skin, the scent permeating the air in competition with the musk of copulation heavy in the atmosphere. Sighing softly, she burrowed further into the coziness of the duvet and the sheets, and the warmth of his body. Limbs entwined, flesh on flesh — where neither could tell where one began and the other ended. Her fingers idly traced the jagged scar across his chest while his own threaded through locks of chartreuse tresses spread across her side of the messy bed.

Pleased with himself, he buried his face into her hair as she teased him about one thing or other. And neither really cared as they giggled and whispered like two teenagers caught in the throes of youthful giddiness.

How could she care when all she'd ever wanted and needed was in her arms?

How could he care when everything he'd wished for had turned into reality, and it was all thanks to her?

The mother of his wondrous child, his Love, his life and his mate… His only empress and enduring goddess.

She'd always known of her Emperor's plentiful wishes, except for one.

And how adorably funny was it that the one enduring wish he'd never told her had been granted today as they stood beneath that massive white poplar tree ─ a memory forever imprinted into their psyches, exchanging words of undying fealty and unending love?

Finally confessing his secret wish, he tolerated her crooning and her playful swats as in the end, she merely pressed herself closer and _he_ busied himself with butterfly kisses across her endearing face.

'Tis naught but the truth, he admitted.

It took painful sacrifices and long and harrowing journeys, but they'd endured and arrived at the end of one chapter only to begin with another.

Overflowing with affection for the woman who made his new life complete, he brushed stray locks of green to clear her face as he leaned ever closer to kiss her lips, and indulge in her affection — professing over and over again how fortunate and how blessed he was to have and to hold her for better or for worse…

And not even Death was powerful enough to tear them apart.

**~FIN~**


End file.
